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LOS ANGELES -- The city of Calabasas, northwest of Los Angeles, is set to enact one of the toughest smoking bans in the nation on Friday.
The anti-smoking measure, passed by the city council in February, promises to make Calabasas the first virtually smoke-free city in the country.
Although there will be designated smoking areas, the city has signs that essentially say smokers aren't welcome, and cards that non-smokers can hand out to remind smokers about the law.
Like similar ordinances, the law bans smoking in public buildings, but this law will include bus stops, parks and other outside areas where non-smokers are present.
Calabasas student Margo Arnold initiated the ban when she took a complaint to City Hall. She told NBC4 she doesn't smoke, but sitting outside one day, enjoying a meal, she felt like she did.
"There was just so much smoke," Arnold said, "there were smokers to my left and my right and I just got overwhelmed with having to sit out there and breathe the smoke."
In January, California declared secondhand smoke a toxic air pollutant.
Now Calabasas Mayor, Barry Groveman says the city is protecting the health of its citizens with the new law.
"This does not ban cigarettes, this limits public exposure to secondhand smoke," Groveman said.
The new law has plenty of critics.
"I think it's political correctness gone off the deep end," smoker Ed Souder told NBC4.
Even some non-smokers, like Linda Kutzin, agree.
"It's their prerogative to smoke if that's what they want to do," Kutzin Said.
According to NBC4, city officials are hoping smokers will get the message and it won't be difficult to enforce the ban. But the sheriff's department is ready to step in.
"What we're hoping is that this will allow it to be acceptable for someone who doesn't want to be impacted by smoke to say, 'would you mind putting that out?' knowing that they have the force of law behind them," said Groveman.
Violators of the ban could pay a fine of up to $500, while repeat offenders could face jail time.
Calabasas officials say they believe one day soon, laws like theirs will be the norm nationwide.
Thirty-six states currently have laws restricting smoking.
http://www.nbc4.tv/newslinks/7963148/detail.html
The anti-smoking measure, passed by the city council in February, promises to make Calabasas the first virtually smoke-free city in the country.
Although there will be designated smoking areas, the city has signs that essentially say smokers aren't welcome, and cards that non-smokers can hand out to remind smokers about the law.
Like similar ordinances, the law bans smoking in public buildings, but this law will include bus stops, parks and other outside areas where non-smokers are present.
Calabasas student Margo Arnold initiated the ban when she took a complaint to City Hall. She told NBC4 she doesn't smoke, but sitting outside one day, enjoying a meal, she felt like she did.
"There was just so much smoke," Arnold said, "there were smokers to my left and my right and I just got overwhelmed with having to sit out there and breathe the smoke."
In January, California declared secondhand smoke a toxic air pollutant.
Now Calabasas Mayor, Barry Groveman says the city is protecting the health of its citizens with the new law.
"This does not ban cigarettes, this limits public exposure to secondhand smoke," Groveman said.
The new law has plenty of critics.
"I think it's political correctness gone off the deep end," smoker Ed Souder told NBC4.
Even some non-smokers, like Linda Kutzin, agree.
"It's their prerogative to smoke if that's what they want to do," Kutzin Said.
According to NBC4, city officials are hoping smokers will get the message and it won't be difficult to enforce the ban. But the sheriff's department is ready to step in.
"What we're hoping is that this will allow it to be acceptable for someone who doesn't want to be impacted by smoke to say, 'would you mind putting that out?' knowing that they have the force of law behind them," said Groveman.
Violators of the ban could pay a fine of up to $500, while repeat offenders could face jail time.
Calabasas officials say they believe one day soon, laws like theirs will be the norm nationwide.
Thirty-six states currently have laws restricting smoking.
http://www.nbc4.tv/newslinks/7963148/detail.html
