The city council of Arcata, Calif. is considering expanding the no smoking ordinance in the downtown area after hearing of complaints from residents that the ban has pushed smokers into their neighborhood.

Arcata City Ordinance No. 1431, which was modified in June 2013 and went into effect on July 19 of that year, prohibits smoking in the downtown area as well as all city buildings and facilities, enclosed public places, entrances to businesses, multi-unit residential complexes, outdoor areas of restaurants and several other areas, and includes a 30-foot buffer around businesses and residential common areas.

According to a report on Times-Standard.com, the Arcata police department has received an increased number of complaints from those who live near the current western boundry of the no smoking zone, and the council is being asked to consider extending the boundaries to encompass the areas generating the complaints. During the council’s February 5 meeting, police chief Tom Chapman shared the complaints with the council as part of his update on the ordinance.

A timetable for the expansion of the no smoking boundaries has not been established as of yet.

The city of Arcata is located in Humboldt County in northern California and is home to approximately 17,000 residents, as well as the site of Humboldt State University.

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.