The idea has been in the works for nearly a year, and on May 1 Ocean City, Md. will have a beach smoking ban just in time for tourist season.

As part of the new legislation, smoking areas will be established but they appear to be few and far between as the resort town looks to clean up both the air and beach with the ban.

The ordinance, which passed 5-0, requires smokers or users of vaping devices to stay within 15 feet of the designated areas, which are to be located near the back of the beach and equipped with ashtrays and trash receptacles. There is also a ban on smoking or vaping at or within 15 feet of bus stops and public parks.

Smokers can be fined up to $500 for violating the law.

Ocean City is located approximately 105 miles southeast of Baltimore and is home to just over 7,000 residents.

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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.