City Council: Smoking ordinance expanded in public parks

Smoking

On Tuesday, the Fort Worth City Council voted to expand the city smoking ordinances to include banning smoking in public parks, except in some outdoor areas of golf courses and the Will Rogers Memorial Center.

The new ban will go into effect in 90 days.

The expansion goes hand-in-hand with the ordinance that was passed March 12 that prohibits smoking in bars and bingo parlors, including E-cigarettes and electronic smoking devices. Also, retail smoke shops will be prohibited within 300 feet of schools, universities and hospitals.

The council voted 8-1 to approve those changes. The lone no vote was District 4 Council Member Cary Moon, calling it “bad governance.” It was at his request the council moved forward on the expansion.

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The March vote was the first change to the city’s smoking ordinance in almost a decade.

Also at that March meeting, the city’s Co-Compliance Director, Brandon Bennett, told the council, “”There is no safe tobacco. It doesn’t matter if you light it, chew it, eat it, it is not good for you.” He added that annually 14.5 million people die or become ill because of tobacco products.

Bennett said Fort Worth was the only benchmark city in the state that allowed smoking in its parks. San Antonio prohibits in pavilions and playgrounds; Arlington prohibits in pavilions, playgrounds and other outdoor venues; while Dallas, El Paso, Austin and Houston fully prohibit smoking in parks – with Dallas and Austin excluding golf courses.

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