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.
