A bill that would ban smoking on beaches and in parks throughout the state of New Jersey cleared an important hurdle on Monday afternoon, passing the state Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee by an 8-0 vote with one abstention.
It now appears headed to the Senate floor for a full vote. Clean air for beach goers, less litter and better conditions for beach going animals were some of the main points argued in favor of its passage.

Assuming it passes the Senate, would still need to go to Gov. Chris Christie for his signature, at which point it would become law just as the New Jersey beaches and the businesses that support and benefit from tourism get ready for their busiest time of year.

Fine for violators are in line with those already in place as part of the New Jersey Smoke Free Air Act, which governs indoor smoking: first offenses carry a $250 fine, with it escalating to $500 for the second fine and $1,000 for each fine thereafter.

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.