Popular beach town cracks down on risky behavior as violators face fines, jail time

The city already had smoking and vaping restrictions in place at public parks. The new ordinance extends those rules to its public beaches.

Officials told FOX 13 that enforcement will initially focus on educating beach visitors about the new rules before issuing citations.

City documents reviewed by Fox News Digital show violations could carry penalties of up to $500 in fines, up to 60 days in jail or both.

"If you're in the slipstream downwind from a cigarette or an e-cigarette, you can get very high concentrations, very high exposures," Glantz said. "So it's just like being downstream of a chimney."

The California-based expert said he supports the recent ban, arguing that people who do not use the products should not have to be exposed to the chemicals such products emit.

"Cigarette butts are made out of plastic, and they don't biodegrade," he said. "If you throw a cigarette butt in the ocean, that plastic is going to fall apart, but microplastics are going to be there for good."

The mayor added that city officials hope the ban keeps beaches safe for both families and local wildlife.

Vaughan also told FOX 13 that beachgoers who wish to smoke can use a designated smoking area in the county parking lot.

Fox News Digital reached out to Vaughan for further comments.

The city itself is home to some 3,600 residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Despite its small population, the coastal community draws visitors year-round to its white-sand shoreline.

Miami Beach banned cigarette smoking and other tobacco products on its public beaches and in parks beginning Jan. 1, 2023.

Violators there can face fines ranging from $100 to $500 or up to 60 days in jail, according to the city.

More recently, the city of Sanibel in Lee County approved a ban on smoking and vaping at public beaches and parks in March 2026.