After the passage of the Florida Clean Indoor Air Act in 2003, there was a clause in the state law that prevented local governments from creating smoke free beaches, parks, and playgrounds in their local communities. Despite repeated attemps to repeal or change this preemption clause, the law remained unchanged for nearly twenty years.
The Quit Doc Foundation led an effort to form a loosely organized group made up of local tobacco prevention coalitions and stakeholders to create momentum to change the law. This culminated in 2022, when the Florida Legislature renamed the law the Florida Clean Air Act and restored the rights of local communities to create common sense smoking restrictions in their local beaches, parks, and playgrounds.
The new law is not perfect, and there is still work to be done, but this simple change has significantly reduced secondhand smoke exposure and tobacco litter throughout Florida!
Barry Hummel MD
Co-Founder, Treasurer
Quit Doc Research and Education Foundation
Email: bhummel@quitdoc.com
Website: https://www.quitdoc.com/
