Cigar Weekly

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LONG BEACH - Just months after reversing a longtime ban on smoking in cigar lounges and hookah bars, the City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to expand smoking restrictions in outdoor areas, adding bus stops and farmers markets to the growing list of areas where puffing is prohibited.

 

The rule, set to take affect later this year, could allow for fines of $100 to $500 for anyone caught smoking within 20 feet of bus stops and the city's popular farmer markets. Smoking has previously been restricted at beaches and parks, hospitals, bars, restaurants, school campuses and most workplaces.

 

State law also prohibits smoking inside cars when children are present.

 

"It's a common sense approach," said 1 st District Councilman Robert Garcia, who sponsored the new rule with 2 nd District Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal. "I don't think people want to be shopping for fresh produce and inhaling cigarette smoke at the same time."

 

Under the new rule, police could be permitted to cite violaters with a $100 fine for a first offense. A second offense would cost $200, and any additional violations within a year would cost $500. The same fines already apply to smokers violating previously enacted bans, said City Attorney Bob Shannon.

 

The city attorney's office is expected to draft the ordinance after studying potential conflicts that may arise during enforcement, such as people passing by bus stops or those smoking on private property adjacent to a bus stop.

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