Soon, if you want to light up in Manhattan Beach, you better be on private property. And even that could be a problem.

The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to develop a citywide smoking ban covering all outdoor public areas in town. The city staff will return to the council with an ordinance in April.

Under the proposal, smoking — including the use of e-cigarettes — would be prohibited on any public property, street, alley, right of way, sidewalk, parking lot and pathway. Smoking also would be banned in the outdoor dining areas of private businesses. The ban, the most stringent in the South Bay, will not impact private property.

Manhattan Beach currently prohibits smoking on the beach, The Strand, the greenbelt and in parks. But the city received an F grade for its smoking regulations in the American Lung Association’s annual report, staff members said.

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the city, and 11 percent of residents still smoke, according to staff.

Staff and council members, before taking their vote, recited some startling statistics Tuesday night.

According to the U.S. surgeon general, there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke, and 5.6 million of today’s youth are projected to die prematurely from a smoking-related illness.

Members of local Girl Scout Troop 1445 spoke before City Council night on the dangers of secondhand smoke for children.

“It’s not fair for nonsmokers to have to suffer the consequences because of people smoking in outdoor areas,” one girl said. “We should be able to eat and shop in outdoor areas without worrying about the toxins in the air.”

Aside from the public health impacts of secondhand smoke, staff members also nodded to the environmental effects of cigarette butts.

“Cigarette litter is prevalent in the city,” said Sona Kalapura Coffee, the city’s environmental programs manager. “Forty percent of the debris collected during Coastal Cleanup Day is cigarette butts.”

The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board has adopted a maximum daily load for debris into the Santa Monica Bay, making the city responsible for the debris discharged into the marine environment through the storm drains.

“The amount of cigarette butts we pick up from the beach is appalling,” Councilman David Lesser said.

Nearly 70 cities in California — including Hermosa Beach — have adopted comprehensive outdoor smoking bans. Coronado and Calabasas are the only cities thus far with citywide bans in place.

“I believe this is a case where policy will influence public behavior,” said Mayor Amy Howorth, whose mother died from emphysema. “That is our role here. People still might smoke, but if we make it harder for them, it curtails behavior.”

Staff members noted that there are adverse impacts of a citywide ban — inconvenience to people who smoke, perception of the ordinance being authoritarian or overprotective, and business owners fearing the loss of business from smokers.

“We don’t want to ban smoking, we want to ban it when you’re next to someone else, when you’re impacting public health,” Coffee said.

Currently, 22 restaurants, many of which have outdoor seating areas — including Tin Roof Bistro, Petros, Shark’s Cove, Rock’n Fish — indicated their support of an outdoor smoking ban.

Hermosa Beach resident and environmental advocate Dency Nelson told council members that since Hermosa Beach has enacted its comprehensive smoking ban, Pier Plaza is “much more pleasant and family-friendly.”

“We all make a decision to smoke or not smoke personally. We can’t make the decision to not be exposed to secondhand smoke if smokers are nearby,” he said.

Staff members talked to the city of Beverly Hills, which prohibits smoking in outdoor dining areas. That city’s staff said their ordinance has been mostly self-regulating and has not adversely affected restaurant business.

Coffee said the intent of a smoking ordinance is to be self-enforcing, not to have police officers walking around, looking to give out tickets to smokers. The public will become aware of the ban through education and signage, she said. However, the city can give out tickets.

Violation of a city ordinance is considered an infraction under the Municipal Code, which can result in fines. Coffee said the staff would bring back a recommendation for a fine structure in April, but it would likely be similar to other cities — Coronado has a $100 fine and Loma Linda in San Bernardino County has a $250 fine.

Surfrider Foundation Chair Craig Cadwallader, who has long pushed the city to enact a smoking ban, said this is a smart decision for a city that prides itself on its environmental initiatives, such as its plastic bag ban.

“This city shows it doesn’t follow trends, it sets trends,” he said. “Do it intelligently.”