New Law Bans Smoking in California

According to the Los Angeles Times, smoking is now illegal in most parts of California state parks and beaches and those who were found violating the ban could be fined up to $25 or possibly being fined for littering.

You might ask yourself why would it be important for me to know about this law. Well, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 9 out of 10 cigarette smokers first try cigarette smoking by age 18, and 98% first try smoking by age 26. This report shows that the average age of smoking is between 18 to 26. Nowadays, people are not only smoke cigarettes but vaping as well. For many years, Sen. Steve Glazer has been pushing for the smoking ban but former Gov. Jerry Brown repeatedly vetoed it.

Everyday we see more than 10 people smoking at places where they should not be. The smoking ban might help reduce the amount of the people who smoke in inappropriate public area. Today I will tell about the new California law that ban smoking at beaches and state parks.

First, let me tell you the benefits of approving this law and how it can effect the environment and health of people.

1. According to Los Angeles Times, Marc Lavine—American politician— talked about the fact that toxic chemicals in cigarette butts can drain into groundwater and can poison animals when they mistaken the litter for food.
2. Also, Senator Steve Glazer mentioned that each cigarette contains 69 toxic chemicals in the butts. Even though they are small, they can have a huge negative impact on the ecosystem and environment.
3. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, smoking in the woods caused approximately 44 wildfires each years in the last 5 years.
4. American Lung Association reported that tobacco related illnesses results in 40,000 death annually in California and the cost for the state to treat these illnesses is around $28 billion dollars.

According to The Mercury News, the state Department of Parks and Recreation is required to set up “No Smoking” signs for 280 parks and 340 miles of shoreline. The state owns 340 miles of shoreline which is around one third of the entire California coastline. Also, it operates 280 parks that covers 1.4 million acres. A legislative analysis predicts it will cost $2 million to set the signs up in at the state parks. 

 All in all, there are two important facts about the smoking ban law. Firstly about benefits: the law inhibits people from more diseases in relation to smoking. It also helps the wellbeing of the environment and the ecosystem. Secondly the cost impact of implementing this law, such as having “No Smoking” signs for the entire California. In conclusion, even though the smoking ban cost a lot of money for the state, we are getting one step closer to have a better environment and less health issue regarding to smoking or vaping.

References

• ABC News Network. (n.d.). 
• Anderson, B. (2019, October 12). California beaches and parks to be tobacco-free under new smoking, vaping ban. 
• Los Angeles Times. (2019, October 12). Californians will be banned from smoking at state parks and beaches under new law. 
• Rogers, P. (2019, October 14). Smoking banned on all California state beaches and state parks. 
• Tobacco Facts: State of Tobacco Control. (n.d.). 
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019, December 10). Youth and Tobacco Use.