NMB City Council Approves Smoking On Public Beaches Ban

The approval adds the public beach to the list of area where smoking is prohibited.

The North Myrtle Beach City Council gave final approval to ban smoking on beaches.

The move is an amendment of its Health and Sanitation Ordinance. It adds the public beach to the list of area where smoking is prohibited. It also creates a standalone provision that explicitly bans smoking on the public beach, including the use of e-cigarettes, to make the change easier to understand.

The ban covers not only the shoreline but public beach access points, walkovers, and dune crossovers. City officials approved the rule citing the effects of second hand exposure and debris that’s not safe for animals or the environment.

Council members said they are willing to explore designated smoking areas in parking lots away from the beach to accommodate people.

The rule will take effect on Jan. 1, 2027. North Myrtle Beach joins other local beaches to impose the ban including Surfside Beach.

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