Ban smoking on the beaches?

Maderia Beach is the latest local community to consider banning smoking on Gulf beaches.  The City Commission heard evidence that cigarette butts are the “number one thing” that workers collect when they clean beaches.

But as the City of Gulfport discovered when it attempted to ban smoking on the beach, Florida law took local government power away from such matters.  The state Senate considered a statewide ban on smoking at the beach, but the bill went nowhere.