Portland smoking ban

Portland's parks smoking ban begins on July 1.

(Associated Press)

Updated: This post was updated with more information about city enforcement and signs.

Portland's citywide parks smoking ban begins July 1, but Commissioner Amanda Fritz already wants to snuff out significant consequences for would-be offenders.

Fritz, who introduced the smoking ban this year, is set to propose several amendments Wednesday that would remove the possibility of a misdemeanor fine or park exclusion.

"It was never my intent for people to go to jail for smoking," Fritz said Monday.

She said that after discussions with the Portland Police Bureau, she became concerned that violators who earned exclusions but refused to comply could face unduly strict consequences.

The purpose of the smoking ban is to promote public health and protect Portland's parks and natural areas, she said. "To me, smoking in parks is like littering," Fritz said. "We don't expect people to go to jail for littering."

As the policy is currently written, lawbreakers would face a potential misdemeanor citation for violating the smoking ban in any of the city's 200 parks and nature areas. Repeat offenders could face exclusion.

Fritz is proposing an amendment that instead says smokers "shall be required to leave the park" for the rest of the day. Enforcement, to the degree there is any, would fall strictly to park rangers. And they would essentially be limited to asking smokers to leave.

In February, Commissioner Dan Saltzman was the only one to vote no, calling the policy "simply unenforceable." The ban, which also applies to e-cigarettes, vaping products and all other tobacco forms, gave police a reason to "hassle somebody for smoking," he said.

Fritz said the amendments address that issue by restricting enforcement to park rangers.

She added that the proposed amendments won't make the policy toothless. "People generally follow the rules whether they like them or not," Fritz said, saying "peer pressure" will be one method of enforcing the rule.

She also noted, with recreational marijuana becoming legal July 1, police will enforce the ban on public use.

Parks officials budgeted $9,500 for signs and decals in city parks on the new rules. According to a bureau spokesman, the city will start installing 800 signs in July and will add stickers to 200 existing signs.

-- Andrew Theen

atheen@oregonian.com

503-294-4026

@cityhallwatch