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Brown vetoes ban on smoking at California parks, beaches

Supporters hoped to mitigate the effects of nicotine and secondhand smoke while preventing litter from discarded cigarette butts. Brown has vetoed a similar bill before.
Credit: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images
California Gov. Jerry Brown speaks during a bill signing event at the Leland Stanford Mansion on May 19, 2015 in Sacramento, California. Gov. Brown signed a first-of-its-kind agreement with leaders from 11 states and international provinces to limit the increase in global average temperature to below 2 degrees Celsius.

Smoking and vaping will still be allowed at California state parks and beaches, despite lawmakers' attempts to ban it.

Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed two bills Friday that would have banned lighting up in a park or at the beach. In a veto message, he writes, "if people can't smoke even on a deserted beach, where can they? There must be some limit to the coercive power of government."

One bill would've imposed a $100 fine for people caught smoking tobacco, marijuana, or even electronic cigarettes.

Supporters hoped to mitigate the effects of nicotine and secondhand smoke while preventing litter from discarded cigarette butts. Brown has vetoed a similar bill before.

Last year, lawmakers raised the smoking age to 21 and voters approved a $2-per-pack increase in tobacco taxes.

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