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PACIFIC GROVE ADDED SOME TEETH TO LAWS IT DID HAVE... AND WROTE UP SOME NEW ONES... LAUNCHING A SMOKE FREE CAMPAIGN IN 2020. IN PACIFIC GROVE THE LIST OF PLACES YOU CAN SMOKE IS VERY SHORT. STARTING IN OCTOBER YOU WON'T BE ALLOWED TO SMOKE OR VAPE... ON SIDEWALKS, AT THE BEACH, ON THE REC TRAIL... IN ANY PUBLIC LOCATION.. AND IN SOME CASES NOT EVEN IN YOUR OWN HOME... 18:45 NINETY PERCENT OF THE PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY DON'T SMOKE AND SO THE 10 PERCENT WHO DO NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PARAMETERS ARE FOR ALLOWING THEM TO TO SMOKE OR TO VAPE IN IN PUBLIC CITY COUNCILOR CYNTHIA GARFIELD WAS APPALLED WHEN PACIFIC GROVE RECEIVED AN F GRADE FROM THE AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION IN FEBRUARY. IN RESPONSE SHE SPEARHEADED AN EFFORT TO REVAMP EXISTING SMOKING BANS AND ADD SOME NEW RULES. 10:57 YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DO AS FAR AS SMOKING AND YOUR BEHAVIOR CAN AFFECT MINE SO THI IS A GREAT STEP TO PROTECT ING THE HEALTH OF THEIR COMMUNITY AND THOSE WHO DO NOT SMOKE PACIFIC GROVE IS NOW THE FIRST CITY IN THE COUNTY TO BAN THE SALE OF ALL FLAVORED TOBACCO PRODUCTS AND ALL VAPING DEVICES. 20:30 FLAVORS ARE IMPORTANT TO TARGET BECAUSE OF THE APPEAL IT HAS FOR YOUTH AND YOU SEE IT ALL OVER THE COUNTRY PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT -- IT'S TIME TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT THE CITY IS ALSO THE FIRST TO BAN SMOKING IN MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING THAT MEANS YOU CAN'T SMOKE IN OR AROUND YOUR APARTMENT OR DUPLEX... 10:57 YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DO AS FAR AS SMOKING AND YOUR BEHAVIOR CAN AFFECT MINE SO THI IS A GREAT STEP TO PROTECT ING THE HEALTH OF THEIR COMMUNITY AND THOSE WHO DO NOT SMOKE RENTAL COMPANIES WORRY THE RESTRICTIONS WILL HAVE A DISPARATE IMPACT ON SMOKERS. RHONDA NAVARRO 2:10 IF YOU'RE A PERSON WHO SMOKES AND YOU CAN'T SMOKE INSIDE OF YOUR UNIT YOU CAN'T SMOKE OUTSIDE OF YOUR UNIT NOW YOU CAN'T SMOKE WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS WHAT DO YOU DO THE ROLLOUT OF THE NEW RULES WILL TAKE SOME TIME AND GARFIELD SAYS IT WILL START WITH EDUCATION FOLLOWED BY ENFORCEMENT. 23:47 THE MORE THAT CITIES ON THE PENINSULA JOIN US THE MORE VISITORS AND RESIDENTS WILL UNDERSTAND WHAT IS EXPECTED OF THEM BY ENFORCEMENT. 23:47 THE MORE THAT CITIES ON THE PENINSULA JOIN US THE MORE VISITORS NEW RULES WILL TAKE SOME TIME AND GARFIELD SAYS IT WILL START WITH EDUCATION FOLLOWED BY ENFORCEMENT. 23:47 THE MORE THAT CITIES ON THE PENINSULA JOIN US THE MORE VISITORS AND RESIDENTS WILL UNDERSTAND WHAT IS EXPECTED OF THEM THE NEW RULES GO INTO EFFECT IN OCTOBER. THE CITY PLANS TO FOCUS ON EDUCATION TO START AND THEN ENFORCEMENT TO FOLLOW UP. ##

Advertisement Pacific Grove takes hard line on smoking and vaping Pacific Grove bans e-cigarette device and flavored tobacco sales and bans smoking and vaping in apartment complexes Share Shares Copy Link Copy

The City of Pacific Grove is rolling out a new set of ordinances that target smoking and vaping in town. In October the city will become the first in the county to ban smoking and vaping in multi-unit housing as well as the first to ban the sale of all e-cigarette devices and any flavored tobacco products."You see it all over the country, people are talking about it, it's time to do something about it," said city councilor Cynthia Garfield.Garfield was appalled when Pacific Grove received an F Grade from the American Lung Association last year. The city was already working on revamping its smoking and vaping ban but decided to take on tobacco licensing too. The smoking and vaping ban now makes it illegal to smoke in any public place, including beaches, the rec trail, sidewalks, parks and community events. Starting in October the ban will also cover all apartments and duplexes in the city."You know what you do as far as smoking, your behavior can affect mine, so this is a great step to protecting the health of their community and those who do not smoke," said Michelle House with the Monterey County Health Department who helped the city craft the ban.The ban includes smoking of any type and vaping of any type, including both nicotine and cannabis products. Property management companies say the ban won't affect how they do business because no smoking clauses are already a part of their rental agreements. However, Rhonda Navarro a broker with Pacific Grove Rentals says these citywide smoking bans do have a disparate impact on smokers. "If you're a person who smokes, you can't smoke inside your unit, you can't smoke outside your unit, you can't smoke inside the city limits, what do you do," said Navarro. Smoking in Pacific Grove is allowed inside of private vehicles, in private homes, and in any designated smoking areas. Garfield said the multi-unit housing ban on smoking and vaping in no way discriminates against smokers. "This is not a protected right, smoking is not a legally protected status of any kind shape or form," said Garfield.To roll out the retail ban on selling e-cigarette devices and flavored tobacco products the city had to change how it does licensing. Retailers will now need to purchases a $395 tobacco license and will not be allowed to sell any type of vaping device or any flavored tobacco, including menthol cigarettes.The Monterey County Sheriff's Office will be in charge of enforcing these new licensing rules. As far as enforcing the smoking and vaping bans Garfield said the plan is to start with education, mainly signage. "The more that cities on the Peninsula join us, the more visitors and residents will understand what is expected of them," said Garfield. Monterey and Carmel have also instigated smoking in public bans and Garfield hopes together they can get the word out about protecting the clean air and marine sanctuary of the Monterey Bay.