Santa Barbara has approved a new ban on plastic straws that threatens offenders with jail time.

The stringent measure, believed to be the strictest of the straw prohibitions that have recently swept across the nation, passed unanimously in the Santa Barbara city council on July 17.

Other cities, including Seattle, Malibu and Santa Monica, have passed straw bans in the past month, and San Francisco is set to become the latest city to join the list after a unanimous supervisors vote on Tuesday.

But none have raised the specter of jail time for straw scofflaws before Santa Barbara.

Santa Barbara city council is seen debating the straw ban, which passed, on July 17

The city's new ordinance forbids the sale or distribution of all plastic straws.

'We couldn't be happier that they voted to pass them and support clean water and to help decrease single-use plastic pollution,' Penny Owens, the education and community outreach director with environmental group Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, told KEYT.

The first violation of the straw ban draws a warning. The second violation, however, is punishable with a fine of up to $1,000 and a jail term not exceeding six months.

Because each individual straw represents a separate violation, penalties could rack up quickly.

Assistant City Attorney Scott Vincent told Reason.com that criminal charges would be pursued only in the event of repeat violations and aggravating circumstances.

Environmentalist Penny Owens said she found these straws on the Santa Barbara beach in just an hour and a half of doing beach cleanup

Supporters of eliminating plastic straws say that they are rarely recycled due to their small size, and frequently end up polluting oceans and waterways, where plastic pollution can be devastating to marine life.

In the past month, a wave of corporations have jumped on the straw bans, with McDonald's, Starbucks and American Airlines all announcing that they will stop providing plastic straws.

In Santa Barbara, restaurants are considering alternatives such as straws made out of paper, bamboo, and even pasta straws that resemble elongated ziti.

Restaurant patrons have also been advised that they can carry around personal metal straws to use wherever they like.

Other cities considering plastic straw bans include New York City, Portland and Washington DC.

The Santa Barbara straw ban comes into effect at 2.01am on January 1, 2019.