OCEANSIDE, Calif. -- The Oceanside Parks and Recreation Commission has given the green light to a proposal that, if approved by the City Council, will ban smoking in public parks, on the beaches and the municipal fishing pier.

Parks commissioners voted 6-1 last night in favor of the proposal, with the proviso that city officials could designate smoking areas.

Commissioner Lois Gardener said she thought the meeting in the council chambers would be well-attended because of the controversial nature of the subject, but only two people -- both with anti-substance-abuse programs sponsored by Vista Community Clinic --addressed the commission, supporting the proposed ban, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

Commissioner Charles Adams sounded as if he would vote against the proposal, saying it's difficult for smoke to bother anyone on the beaches or pier because the wind blows it away and second-hand smoke is not dangerous unless contained in a room. But he ended up voting for it.

The one dissenting vote was cast by Commissioner Belinda LeDoux, who said she could not speak for Oceanside's residents without their vote.

A poll sent out with water bills surveyed residents, and 9,000 responded, overwhelmingly in favor of the ban, but LeDoux said the sample was too small in a city of 174,000 to gauge residents' feelings, according to the Union-Tribune.

She called the proposed law a "strong-arm" tactic and said polystyrene cups and fast-food wrappers create more litter on the beach than cigarette butts, the Union-Tribune reported.

Nine of the 18 cities in San Diego County, and the county itself , have banned smoking in open spaces.