Last night, the city of Santa Cruz enacted a wide-ranging public smoking ban, eliciting cheers from some and jeers from others. The ban covers all of Pacific Avenue and West Cliff Drive, as well as Beach Street between the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, all municipal parks, the Wharf, outside dining areas (including bars and coffee shops), and within 25 feet of any door or window used by the public. The ban was passed unanimously by City Council.
In addition to the ban, City Council proposed a local tax on cigarettes, with revenues used to clean up butts littering public spaces.
Around 30 people attended the meeting – far fewer than expected. Most cheered in response, including restaurateur Shanna Casey who said that secondhand smoke blows in to her work at the Asana Tea House on Lincoln constantly, and 8-year-old Kyle Ellis who said, simply: “I think kids should be able to breathe fresh air, without smoke.”
Some even added that the ban didn’t go far enough and asked that all outdoor smoking be banned in Santa Cruz. In contrast, Scott Graham, an opponent of the ban, said that the measure was extreme: “This room used to be filled with people smoking cigarettes at City Council meetings. No one died at those meetings,” he said, adding, “If I were to back my car into this room and let it run for 10 minutes, everyone would be dead.”
The ban is scheduled to go into effect on October 20. Read more at Santa Cruz Sentinel.
