Tyler

By ADRIENNE GRAHAM
Staff Writer

The proposed ordinance to ban smoking in Tyler is now available to view online, city officials said today.

The ordinance that will be presented by the Smoking Task Force at a special city council meeting Wednesday morning can be seen by clicking the link in the RELATED LINKS box on this page.

Wednesday's 9 a.m. meeting will be the Smoking Task Force's opportunity to present its recommendations on the city of Tyler’s proposed smoking ordinance. The meeting will be held in the council chambers, located in City Hall at 212 N. Bonner Ave.

The proposed ordinance prohibits smoking in “all enclosed areas available to and customarily used by the general public,” including bars, restaurants nightclubs, bingo halls and bowling alleys.

The proposed ordinance also calls for smoking to be prohibited within 20 feet of a designated non-smoking facility, including balconies and patios.

“The current recommendation is that smoking be prohibited in both indoor and outdoor spaces that serve (alcohol),” Task Force Chair Nathaniel Moran said. “But I believe there will be a lot of additional discussion on that point during Wednesday’s meeting.”

Moran said the recommendation for a 20-foot buffer came from studying how other smoke-free cities dealt with the issue of distance.

“Twenty feet seems like a reasonable distance, given the medical evidence of the health effects from secondhand smoke. Some cities set the distance as far as 50 feet,” Moran said.

Other smoke-free zones designated by the proposed ordinance include public outdoor events and city-owned facilities such as parks and playgrounds.

Exemptions from the ordinance include retail tobacco stores and private organizations, such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).

The task force is recommending that first-time violators be charged with a misdemeanor offense and a fine of up to $300, and a fine of $500 on the second offense.

If adopted by the council, the ordinance would go into effect in 60 days.

Updated Monday, Feb. 4, 2008 at 5:19 p.m. CST