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California lawmakers have introduced a bill that would ban single-use tobacco products in an attempt to curb some environmental issues.
According to FOX5, if signed into law, Assembly Bill 1690 would ban the sale of single-use vapes and tobacco filters that are found in most cigarettes and cigars.
“I want to be clear. This bill is not banning the sale of tobacco or marijuana in California. That’s not the goal of this bill,” said Assembly Member Luz Rivas, D-San Fernando Valley who is the author of the bill.
It will be up to local authorities to enforce the law and violators could face civil penalties of $500.
According to lawmakers, throughout the state cigarette litter forces public agencies to spend $41 million a year on clean up.
“The smokers: They smoke and they toss. They risk a $1,000 fine by flicking a cigarette out of a vehicle, or throwing it on the beach, or out into the environment anywhere and that’s not a deterrent at all,” said Assembly Member Mark Stone, D-Monterey Bay.
A similar effort is underway in New York and lawmakers hope this helps their case.
“We will be working in tandem to make sure we keep our states healthy and clean and send a message to the country that this is the year to get the single-use ban in place,” said Rivas.
The bill currently does not have a date for when it would go into effect if passed.