The state senate has approved a measure that would ban smoking at all state parks and beaches in California. No other state has passed such a comprehensive smoking ban.
Smoking is already prohibited at most beaches in San Diego County. More than 100 other communities in California have banned smoking at beaches and parks.
The pending measure would extend that ban to the nearly 150 state operated beaches and parks.
Debra Kelley is with the San Diego chapter of the American Lung Association. She admits smokers have few places in public where they can light up.
"We're not saying people can't smoke, we're just saying people can't smoke when they're harming other people around them or the environment," Kelley says. "I think smoking is increasingly becoming a habit that you enjoy privately."
Kelley says the bill would cut down on litter and protect people from second-hand smoke.
