With a holiday weekend ahead for many, plenty of people are going to want to hit the beach. With that in mind, Miami Beach is reminding those taking to the sand of the beach or one of the city's parks that smoking is illegal.
"These beaches are far too beautiful for you to smoke to enjoy them," said Mayor Dan Gelber.
The ban, which went into effect on January 1, bans smoking on public beaches and parks under an ordinance that came after the Florida Legislature enabled municipalities to enforce their own bans.
According to Ocean Conservancy, a non-profit dedicated to protecting the ocean, this ban couldn’t come soon enough saying that cigarette butts are the number one type of debris they find throughout international cleanups - with more than 32,000 found in Miami Beach alone.
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"Cut open the belly of the fish and you’ll see plastic. That goes into the ecosystem," said J.P. Brooker, the director of the Florida chapter of Ocean Conservancy.
Brooker said 70 percent of animals are ingesting these plastics.
"The only way we get to protect this beautiful paradise is by reducing the amount of plastic we put on these beaches," said city commissioner Alex Fernandez.
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Anyone who violates the ban could face a maximum punishment of a $500 fine and up to 60 days in jail, but arrests could be at the discretion of police, officials said.
