By Chuck Weber\/CBS 12 News<\/p>\n
JUPITER, Fla. -- Would banning smoking at beaches and parks go too far? <\/p>\n
Caitlyn Johnston, a high school senior from Jupiter doesn't think so. She said her grandfather died from tobacco-related illness. <\/p>\n
\"I saw the effect it had on my family,\" said Johnston. \"No one else should have to go through that.\" <\/p>\n
Caitlyn started working with the Health Department's tobacco prevention specialist. She cleaned local beaches, finding pounds of tobacco products. <\/p>\n
Now Caitlyn is backing the efforts of State Representative Bill Hager of Delray Beach. He's sponsoring a bill that would give cities and counties the ability to ban outdoor smoking at parks and beaches. Right now local governments cannot do that. <\/p>\n
But the idea of banning outdoor smoking was a tough sell to the men playing Boccie ball at Carlin Park in Jupiter. <\/p>\n
\"Smokers should at least have the outdoors to smoke,\" said Frank Caprino, who identified himself as a parttime smoker. <\/p>\n
Chimed in Bill Byrne, \"As long as you don't litter, and the smoke doesn't bother anybody, I think you'd be okay out here.\" <\/p>\n
\"I'm not telling them they can't smoke,\" said Caitlyn. \"They can smoke outside in their backyard. They can smoke in other areas where children and parks aren't going to be affected.\" <\/p>\n
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Read the original here:<\/p>\n
Local teen campaigns for smoking ban at beaches and parks<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Chuck Weber\/CBS 12 News JUPITER, Fla. -- Would banning smoking at beaches and parks go too far Continue reading