There will soon be a new smoking ban in Gaffney, S.C., as the city council approved a proposal that will snuff out smoking at all restaurants and enclosed public buildings in the city, as well as city parks and playgrounds.

In addition, smoking is banned with 10 feet of the above areas, and includes outdoor serving areas of restaurants. The ban was approved by a 4-3 vote at the council’s Sept. 5 meeting, with the approval coming as a bit of a surprise, as the council rejected a similar proposal in April, coincidentally by the same tally.

The ban goes into effect 30 days after its passage, which would be Oct. 5. Once it does, violators and business owners not in compliance will be subject to a $100 fine.

Gaffney is located in the northern part of the state, just over 50 miles southwest of Charlotte, N.C. The city is home to nearly 13,000 residents.

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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.