New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has signed a bill banning smoking at the state's public beaches and parks, but local communities can opt out and set aside small smoking sections.
The Democratic governor on Friday signed a measure that was passed by the state legislature last month. While advertised as a ban, it still leaves room for towns to permit smoking in designated areas of their beaches and parks.
Like previous versions of the bill that failed, the bill doesn't specify who would be responsible for enforcing it: lifeguards, police or someone else.
Murphy said it shouldn't be lifeguards, but he left it to towns to decide enforcement measures.
"A lifeguard is there to save lives, first and foremost, for people in the water," Murphy said. "I don't want to add an extra burden to the lifeguard and take him or her away from their primary mission."
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The ban, which takes effect in January, also prohibits vaping involving the use of electronic smoking devices on beaches or in parks. It allows towns to set up designated smoking areas of 15 per cent of a beach or park. Smokers also would be allowed to light up in parking lots.
Fines would start at $US250 for a first offence and go up to $US1,000 for a third offence.
