Duarte : No-Smoking Rules Adopted

The City Council on Tuesday adopted the most stringent smoking ordinance in the San Gabriel Valley. It will significantly restrict smoking in most public buildings and in the workplace.

The ordinance will take effect in 30 days, except in workplaces, where employers have an additional 60 days to formulate smoking policies required under the ordinance.

It prohibits smoking in elevators, hospitals and health care facilities, public meeting places, theaters, auditoriums, public restrooms and service lines. In the workplace, smoking is barred in a businesses’ common areas and allows non-smokers to designate their immediate workplace a non-smoking area. The wishes of the non-smoker take precedence in settling disputes.

For restaurants of 50 seats or more, the ordinance requires that 50% of the seating be designated for non-smoking. Bars and smaller restaurants are exempt.

The ordinance is modeled after a Pasadena law passed in 1984, but it doubles Pasadena’s requirement that restricts 25% of a restaurant’s seating for non-smokers.

Mayor John Hitt offered an amendment to require that smoking sections be located in the back of restaurants so non-smokers could avoid walking through smoke. Hitt’s amendment will be considered in February.