The Brookhaven Town Board approved a new law last week that prohibits smoking in town-owned parks and recreation areas.

The ban includes all town pools, playgrounds, ball fields, golf courses and cemeteries. Beaches and marinas are exempt from the new law.

Councilwoman Kathy Walsh, who sponsored the bill, said the ban will also minimize littering.

“Prolonged exposure to second hand smoke, whether you’re indoors or out, hurts your health,” she said in a statement.

P.J. Tedeschi, a representative for the Tobacco Action Coalition of Long Island, a Hauppauge-based group that advocates smoking bans, said the town’s policy will “create healthier, cleaner environments and provide a positive role model for children.”

The law goes into effect on Jan. 1.

Violators caught smoking in parks will be subject to a $250 fine and as much as 10 days in jail.

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