Tom Davis reports for Patch national staff
There’s something new on New Jersey beaches and boardwalks this year. And it may be why you’re breathing a little easier while sitting on the sand or waiting for your kid to get out of the arcade this Memorial Day weekend.
The bill that Gov. Phil Murphy signed that essentially bans smoking at all beaches and parks and on boardwalks has taken effect this year.
Here’s the hitch: You can still smoke in the parking lot, and municipalities can designate up to 15 percent of a beach for permitted smoking, according to the legislation.
The law charges violators a $250 fine for the first offense, $500 for the second offense and $1,000 for each subsequent offense, according to the legislation.
“This is a tremendous day,” Murphy said last year as he signed the legislation, declaring it an effort to “get the butts off the beach.”
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