Nonsmokers complained to the town that, even more than blaring radios and tourists feeding seagulls, the thing most likely to ruin their beach day was secondhand smoke polluting the otherwise refreshing sea breeze, Borough Administrator John Camera said yesterday.
The Ocean County resort also has cracked down on noise, illegal parking, and trash disposal, officials said.
While the smoking ban took effect immediately, Camera conceded that it was unlikely police would do more than warn violators as the season winds down. So far, Seaside Heights has installed a line of poles and signage to delineate where the smoking area ends. It also has provided large receptacles for collecting spent cigarette and cigar butts.
"We'll use the remaining weeks of this summer to figure out how we should proceed next year. This year, we're just going to educate the public about the new rule," Camera said.
Next summer, a Municipal Court judge could fine violators if they ventured outside the designated area, Camera said. The precise amount of the fine would be up to the judge; current beach fines range up to $1,250.
While environmentalists have applauded the ban - discarded cigarettes are the pollutant found most along New Jersey's 127-mile coastline, they report - others believe the measure is heavy-handed.
"There are so many other, bigger issues in places like Seaside that politicians and town officials should be concerned about - like drinking on the beach and lewdness," said Audrey Silk, founder of the group Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment, based in New York. "Smokers are an easy target."
But beachgoers such as Stephanie Stevio, 36, of Toms River, who was sunning herself yesterday on Seaside Heights' shoreline, say they have long been annoyed by sea air sullied by cigarettes.
