Smoking in New York City's public places is no longer legal as the law that prohibits smoking in New York City's 1,700 parks, beaches and pedestrian plazas comes into effect Monday.

The city's mayor, Michael Bloomberg, signed the law in February following the approval of the New York City Council.

The city aims to reduce the public's exposure to second hand smoke and also keep the streets cleaner following reports from the mayor's office that cigarette stubs account for 75% of the litter found on New York City.

Studies show that second hand smoke causes 50,000 deaths per year and various respiratory ailments, according to the American Lung Association's website.

Smoking in parks and beaches not only harms people trying to enjoy these recreational facilities, it also causes a litter problem that harms the beauty of our parks, Bloomberg said before he signed the bill into law.

New York City has already forbid smoking in restaurants, bars and other public indoor spaces in 2002.

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