Smoking Now Prohibited On Newport Public Beaches, Parks and Cliff Walk

GoLocalProv News Team

Smoking Now Prohibited On Newport Public Beaches, Parks and Cliff Walk

Upon passage the new ordinance became effective immediately.
Smoking on public beaches, in public parks and the Cliff Walk is now prohibited in Newport.

The Newport City Council voted 6 - 1 on Wednesday night to pass Chapter 12.32 of the Codified Ordinances, entitled, “Park and Recreation Areas”, adding Section 12.32.125 entitled, “Prohibition of Smoking on Public Beaches, in Public Parks and Cliff Walk”, and Section 12.32.130 entitled, “Smoking Prohibited on public beaches, in public parks, and Cliff Walk”and Section 12.32.130 entitled, “Smoking Prohibited on public beaches, in public parks, and Cliff Walk”.

Upon passage the new ordinance became effective immediately. Newport City Councilor Marco Camacho was the lone councilor to oppose passage of the ordinance.

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The new ordinance prevents people from smoking a cigarette, cigar or other tobacco-related product on or within any beach or public park owned, operated, maintained or managed by the City Of Newport.

It also prevents people from disposing of cigarette butts, cigar butts, or any tobacco-related waste on or within any beach or public park owned, operated, maintained or managed by the City of Newport.

According to the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation, Charlestown and North Providence are the two other cities in Rhode Island who have already specifically named city beaches are smoke free.

Both the Tree and Open Space Commission and Newport Beach Commission submitted formal communication advising that they do not support a non-smoking resolution due to challenges in enforcement, sign pollution, negative impact to tourism and conflict with free use of public spaces.

John Florez, City Councilor-At-Large, told GoLocalProv & What'sUpNewp that he believes enforcement of the new ordinance can be enforced by “fines, signs and peer pressure the same way smoking bans were implemented in late 1990s and bars and restaurants. It’s something that as time goes by it will be easier to enforce just on the mere fact that it’s been established as a social norm.”


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