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Avon Lake City Council votes to ban smoking in almost all outdoor areas.

The city council has passed two ordinances limiting the use of all tobacco products in outdoor venues.

The shores of Lake Erie can be an idyllic setting and a place for quality time with our kids, until you see cigarette butts littering the path to the beach.

Avon Lake has become the latest municipality to go smoke free. The city council has passed two ordinances limiting the use of all tobacco products in outdoor venues.

There is already a state law banning smoking inside public areas and businesses. Some of these places may designate how far away from a building people can smoke. Avon Lake’s new ordinances go even further, saying you can't smoke outside—period—on virtually any public property.

"I think that no tobacco use in our city parks will help keep them cleaner and looking nicer and it will overall just improve our atmosphere in Avon Lake," resident Faith Lengen said.

It's why the city council—which includes a smoker—voted unanimously Monday to ban smoking at all beaches, playgrounds and parks.

"I think it's an opportunity for all of us to express that we want people to come in and enjoy what we have," City Councilman Dave Kos, who sponsored the legislation, said.

A second ordinance bans smoking on all city property, except streets, sidewalks and tree lawns. Both ordinances apply to e-cigarettes and chewing tobacco.

"Let's be honest: A lot of smokeless tobacco users have to get rid of that chew somewhere and there's a lot of spitting involved," Councilman Kos stated, adding residents were complaining about the smoke at city and school events.

"If you want to go and use your tobacco products at home, that's completely fine," resident Claire Geary said. "But you have to be aware that other people have, you know, asthma attacks or other conditions."

On the website for the Lorain County Chronicle-Telegram, Lorain County’s local newspaper, several people, including a non-smoker, complained that, "This is a case of government going too far."

The city says, however, that this isn't a money grab, and they won't be slapping every smoker with the $25 dollar tickets.

"An officer or park attendant will approach the person and ask them to voluntary comply,
and if there is an issue after that, a ticket will be written,” Kos said.

The ordinance involving parks and beaches went into effect Tuesday. The one involving city property goes into effect Jan. 1 to give city employees time to get into programs to help them stop smoking.

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