Palmdale OKs Ordinance to Ban Smoking in Some Areas

Following a trend set by other cities, the Palmdale City Council gave preliminary approval to an ordinance that would ban smoking in many enclosed public areas and impose other restrictions in workplaces and restaurants.

The measure, which would be the city’s first anti-smoking law, would ban smoking in buses and cabs, in public areas of most businesses and in buildings customarily used by the public. A final vote is scheduled next month.

Under the ordinance approved unanimously Wednesday night, employers would be required to have a written smoking policy and provide smoke-free work areas for nonsmoking employees “to the extent reasonably possible,” short of incurring any cost to make physical modifications.

Restaurants would have to designate at least half of their seating area for nonsmokers, and at least 40% of hotel and motel rooms would have to be designated as nonsmoking rooms. But the council agreed to exempt bars, lounges, bowling alleys, bingo halls and billiard halls from the measure’s provisions.

Under the measure, regulated businesses must post signs designating areas as either smoking or no-smoking. Violators of the ordinance could be fined $100, $200 or $500 for successive violations within one year. Businesses can request exemptions for financial hardship.

During Wednesday night’s hearing, no anti-smoking advocates appeared before the council. The only citizens who spoke were a bowling alley manager and billiard hall owner, who both received exemptions.

“You climb the hill a step at a time,” said Mayor Jim Ledford, a smoker.

In contrast, the city of Los Angeles passed a law similar to Palmdale’s in 1987 and earlier this year banned all smoking in restaurants. Agoura Hills and Calabasas also banned smoking in restaurants earlier this year. Santa Clarita is considering imposing smoking restrictions for workplaces and restaurants.

The Palmdale council’s action was spurred by a federal Environmental Protection Agency finding that secondhand smoke is a carcinogen responsible for at least 3,000 lung cancer deaths each year among people who may never have smoked.