New Jersey set to try again on beach, park smoking bans

BELMAR, N.J. -- Measures to restrict smoking at public beaches and ban it entirely at parks are scheduled for a vote in the New Jersey Legislature.

The Senate and Assembly are expected to give final approval Thursday to a bill that was vetoed by Republican Gov. Chris Christie in 2014.

It would ban smoking at publicly owned beaches and parks.

The bill would enable municipalities to set aside 15 percent of the beach as a designated smoking area, but that would not apply to parks.

Senate President Steve Sweeney calls the bill a way to keep secondhand smoke away from non-smokers and children. He also says it will help keep beaches cleaner without thousands of cigarette butts discarded in the sand.