Asbury Park officials are considering passing an ordinance to ban smoking on the town’s public beaches.

Officials say that the plan was introduced after an increasing number of complaints from beachgoers.

“We want to make the beaches fun, safe and family-friendly,” says Asbury Park director of communications Sonia Spina. “Plus cigarette butts produce a lot of litter on our beaches and end up in our ocean, which we want to avoid.”

If approved the ban would take effect this summer. Officials say that they do not know if the ban would extend to the boardwalk in town.

Belmar and Spring Lake officials have already banned smoking on their beaches.