Hermosa Beach Bans Smoking in Outdoor Areas

Hermosa Beach, CA — The Hermosa Beach City Council has tentatively expanded the smoking ban to all public places in the city at its Tuesday night meeting.

The smoking ban, including e-cigarettes, applies to all public outdoor areas as well as private outdoor areas where the public are invited. The council also agreed to lower the smoking penalty from a misdemeanor to an infraction.

The city has tried to limit smoking at its outdoors areas, particularly, the downtown area, in the past. The council banned smoking on the Pier Plaza in 2011 but did not actively enforce the law until Memorial Day weekend this year.

The council cited the secondhand-smoke danger information it received at a forum hosted by the Beach Cities Health District and the Surfrider Foundation.

The council also directed the city attorney to look into expanding the ban to multi-unit housing in the city. City Attorney Michael Jenkins said his staff would return with more information in a few months.

This was the first reading the proposed changes to the smoking ban ordinance. The second reading will be at the next city council meeting where, if approved, the ban will be come effective.

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