Smoking may be banned on Gulfport beaches
The Brief
There is a proposal to ban smoking on Gulfport beaches.
Gulfport city council will vote on the proposed ordinance on Tuesday.
Residents and council members in favor of the ban call it a win for local waterways, as many cigarette butts and tobacco end up in the water.
GULFPORT, Fla. - Cigarette butts in the sand and smoke in the air aren't the way city council members want visitors to think about Gulfport public beaches.
Local perspective
On Tuesday, there will be a second reading and vote on a proposed ordinance to ban cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, and tobacco products on Gulfport public beaches.
It appears the proposed ordinance does allow an exception for unfiltered cigarettes.
READ:Governor DeSantis signs Boater Freedom Act
The city of Gulfport successfully passed a similar ordinance about a decade ago, but it was overturned when challenged in court.
Residents and council members in favor of the ban call it a win for local waterways, as many cigarette butts and tobacco end up in the water.
READ: Family owned hotel in Sunset Beach reopens 8 months after Hurricane Helene: 'The place was decimated'
The other side
Those against it say Gulfport beaches have more of a trash problem and should be cleaned more frequently.
Click here to read the proposed ordinance.
The Source
This story was written with information gathered by FOX 13's Mariah Harrison.
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