Strict Alameda Smoking Ban Takes Effect In 2012
ALAMEDA (CBS SF) - An ordinance taking effect on Monday in Alameda bans smoking in all outdoor public places. It was modeled after similar ordinances passed in other Bay Area cities, like Belmont and Richmond.
The ban lists Alameda's downtown sidewalks, shopping zones, outdoor work sites and vehicles used for work among areas where smoking will be prohibited, as of January 2nd.
The ordinance also applies to the insides of apartment and condo complexes, as well as their balconies and porches.
"This is not a big brother or nanny state type of ordinance," stressed Vice Mayor Rob Bonta. "It is not an attempt to control behavior, it's an attempt to protect members of the public from a health hazard in the form of secondhand smoke."
KCBS' Anna Duckworth Reports:
Fines for anyone caught violating the ordinance range from $100 to $500.
(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
