Beginning next year, smoking will be prohibited along the beachfront boardwalk of Wildwood, N.J. as on Wednesday the city’s board of commissioners approved a ban for the area.
The ban is similar to one passed by Ocean City in 2014, as it will prohibit smoking on the boardwalk itself as well as the ramps and stairs that lead to the structure. The ban comes out of a concern both for public health from secondhand smoke as well as for the structure itself, as city officials have said the potential for fire from stray cigarettes is considerable.
No fines for violators have yet been associated to the ban, though that could change in the future according to a report from the Press of Atlantic City. The city will use the summer tourism period to educate residents and visitors of the upcoming ban, which will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2018.
The ban is expected to grow next month, as the city of North Wildwood will vote on a ban for its portion of the boardwalk.
Wildwood is located on the southern tip of New Jersey, with a 2015 population estimate of 5,149 residents.