Public parks and state beaches would be added to the list of no-smoking zones in California under a bill from a Democrat that cleared another legislative hurdle last week.

The proposed restrictions which would apply to cigarettes, cigars, marijuana and e-cigarettes will prevent wildfires, curb pollution and protect animals that mistake life-threatening cigarette butts for food, supporters say.

Smoldering cigarette butts have caused major wildfires, Sen. Steve Glazer, D-Orinda, said in a statement. They are a major polluter on our beaches and oceans.

Senate Bill 386 was passed by the Senate late last month. And on Tuesday, it cleared the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee on a 10-4, mostly party-line vote. Republican Steven Choi, of Irvine, broke ranks with his party by voting in favor of the ban. Assemblyman Rudy Salas, a Democrat from a swing district in Bakersfield, voted against it.

Some areas including Los Angeles, Long Beach, Santa Cruz, San Diego and most communities along the South Bay coast already have ordinances banning smoking in parks and public beaches.

The measure along with a similar bill from Democratic Assemblyman Marc Levine, of Marin County is just the latest attempt by lawmakers to bring an end to smoking and smoking-related trash in public parks and on beaches not covered by local bans. An almost identical bill passed the Legislature last year, only to be vetoed by Gov. Jerry Brown, who called it too broad and punitive. Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger nixed another such attempt in 2010.

Glazers bill would prohibit smoking at all state beaches, estuaries and bays, slapping violators with fines of up to $250.

The proposed ban includes all of the state parks system in California, which encompasses 40 miles of coastline, 970 miles of lake and river frontage and 4,500 miles of trails. About 67 million people visit state parks each year.

The proposal would outlaw smoking along Orange Countys five state beaches Bolsa Chica, Huntington, Crystal Cove, Dana Point and San Clemente and comes nearly a decade after cities along Orange County tackled the issue and extinguished smoking on the sand.

The ban would also include Los Angeles state beaches such as Leo Carrillo State Park north of Malibu and other state parks along the coast that include camping areas. Most Los Angeles beaches are run by the county, which already have an ordinance in place restricting smoking in areas.

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In Orange County, state parks also manages the trails, open space and camping areas of Crystal Cove and El Morro. County beaches in Orange County have also not passed smoking bans on the beach, so areas such as Salt Creek or Capo Beach in Dana Point, or Sunset Beach in Huntington, still allow smoking.

Rick Erkeneff, Surfrider Foundation South Orange County chapter chairman, said he went to Strands Beach in Dana Point this week and was greeted by the stench a man puffing on a cigar.

The whole beach could smell it, it was nasty, he said. People say its personal freedom. When your personal freedom affects my quality of health or quality of life, I have a problem with that.

In 2004, Huntington Beach was one of the first cities to ban smoking on the sand at city beaches. Huntington Beach recently extended its ban into beach parking lots.

The past decade has seen a major push against smoking in public, including bans at city parks, most college campuses and the OC Fair. Laguna Beach recently became the first in the county to ban smoking in the entire city.

Last year, San Clemente introduced an ordinance that outlaws smoking at beach entrances.

Some state parks, like San Onofre State Park, areas have already addressed fire concerns.

While smoking is legal on state beaches, it is banned on hiking trails located in the upland section of San Onofre State Beach extending well inland from I-5.

The proposed ban would also cover public parks, but was amended to include some wiggle room, allowing local parks directors to establish smoking zones.

Because the no-smoking signage would cost the state roughly $1 million, the bill must be approved by the Assembly appropriations committee before advancing to the Assembly floor. The proposal has no formal opposition and is backed by the American Lung Association, Save the Bay, the California State Lands Commission, the California Statewide Firefighters Association and the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association.

Jennifer Savage, Surfrider Foundation California policy manager, said the non-profit is hopeful the legislation will not again by vetoed by Brown.

Were optimistic its going to pass again because theres a lot of support for it, she said. For decades, cigarette butts are always the most littered items. Its really a simple fix, if theres no cigarettes, theres no cigarette butts. That eliminates a major source of trash on our beach.

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Why California lawmakers may snuff out smoking at beaches and parks - LA Daily News