California to spend $2 million to tell you not to smoke at the beach, parks
The State of California wants to spend $2 million to remind you that it is against the law to smoke in state parks and beaches.
The California Department of Parks and Recreation issued a budget request in order to bring the state into compliance with Senate Bill 8, which bans smoking and vaping at state parks and beaches.
If you’re caught, it’s a $25 fine.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law last fall after former Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed it on three separate occasions.
The funding request calls for spending $1.1 million on 5,600 signs (at a cost of $200 per sign), with an additional $900,000 spent on California Coastal Commission and California Environmental Quality Act permits.
Cigarette litter is the most commonly found waste item on public beaches; more than 2 million pieces of cigarette litter were recovered on U.S. beaches in 2015, according to the Ocean Conservancy.
In addition to being non-biodegradable and filled with toxic chemicals, cigarettes also are a common cause for forest fires.
“Over 60 million people visit California’s parks each year putting the parks at a much higher fire risk than other less frequented natural destinations,” according to the budget request.
The smoking ban doesn’t go into place until the signs do.
This story was originally published January 15, 2020 at 2:28 PM with the headline "California to spend $2 million to tell you not to smoke at the beach, parks."
