Smoking in city of Reno parks (including vaping) could get you a misdemeanor charge

Yvonne Beasley | Reno Gazette-Journal

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If you smoke or vape in a Reno park, you can be asked to leave or even ejected from the park.

Tobacco use of any kind is banned as of Aug. 10, including electronic or vaporized smoking devices. The city council introduced the ordinance in July and passed it earlier this month.

“Violation of this provision may result in misdemeanor charges,” according to the ordinance.

Smoking is also banned within 100 feet of City of Reno sports fields, spectator areas, the entrances to recreation facilities and on sports and play areas, unless the area is designated for smoking.

Officers will remind people in parks about the new rule, according to a Tuesday announcement from the Reno Police Department. New signs will be put up in parks, according to city council minutes from the July meeting.

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“The city does not anticipate law enforcement will be actively patrolling parks looking for violation of the ordinance,” according to highlights from the city council meeting when the ordinance was approved.

You can read the full ordinance here.

You can see a list of Reno parks and trails here.

The city has 87 parks. All recreation facilities such as pools and rec centers have been non-smoking on the inside for some time, according to Andy Bass, the city's director of parks, recreation and community services.

The new rule makes the outdoor rules match the indoor ones, Bass said Tuesday.

"The neat thing about this is, it was not a staff or council-driven initiative. It was really started by residents," Bass said. He pointed out that Sparks recently passed a similar ordinance, and Washoe County is working on one.