What to Know
- A new poll finds 75 percent of New Jerseyans oppose smoking on the state's public beaches
- The Fairleigh Dickinson University Poll finds three quarters of New Jerseyans support a proposed ban to smoking and vaping on public beaches
- This number has gone unchanged from 2016, when the same question was asked to New Jersey adults
A new poll finds 75 percent of New Jerseyans oppose smoking on the state's public beaches.
The Fairleigh Dickinson University Poll, which was released Friday, finds three quarters of New Jerseyans support a proposed ban to smoking and vaping on public beaches.
This number has gone unchanged from 2016, when the same question was asked to New Jersey adults.
“Jersey’s beaches are, to many, a crown jewel. They generate millions of dollars of revenue from tourism and are a vacation destination for residents and non-residents alike. The right to enjoy a smoke free beach clearly outweighs respect for the rights of smokers,” Krista Jenkins, professor of political science and the director of the poll, said in a statement.
Jenkins said the poll found there is consensus on this issue across genders, generations and political lines.
The state Legislature passed a bill last week to ban beach smoking. It's now on the desk of Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy.
Local
The bill allows towns to set aside designated smoking areas of up to 15 percent of the beach.
But the bill does not answer a key question that has snuffed out previous attempts to ban smoking on New Jersey's shores: Who will enforce it?
The poll of 926 adults was done from May 16-21. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
