Beach smoking ban narrowly fails in O.C.

Although most Orange County beach towns have outlawed smoking on their shorelines, county supervisors went the other way Tuesday and declined to adopt a ban on the county’s seven miles of beachfront.

The board voted 2 to 2 on the measure, resulting in its rejection. Supervisor Jim Silva abstained, telling colleagues he’d accepted campaign money from the tobacco industry.

The ordinance would have banned smoking at several of the county’s most popular strands, including Sunset Beach and Salt Creek.

Supervisor Tom Wilson, who introduced the measure, said he’d become increasingly aware of the unhealthful effect of cigarette butts on the environment, and when he saw similar bans imposed in his district’s coastal cities -- with visible results and no public backlash -- he thought the county should take action.

“It was time to step up,” he said. “Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.”

A spokesman for the Harbors, Beaches and Parks Commission said now that the ordinance had been rejected, the agency would consider installing ash bins on beaches to encourage proper disposal.

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