It will soon be illegal to smoke tobacco products, hookahs or electronic cigarettes in Newark, N.J. parks, as the Newark Municipal Council voted unanimously in favor of a smoking ban on Wednesday night.

Ordinance 14-0338 is an expansion of the city’s existing smoking ban on municipal buildings, adding parks, recreational facilities, community centers and city-owned or city-operated cars to the list of places where smoking is now prohibited. Violators of the ban face stiff financial penalties, as first time offenders can be fined $250, with second offenses costing $500 before escalating to a $1,000 fine for a third offense and any subsequent violations.

The ban will start in early November, as the ordinance states it will take effect 20 days after final passage and publication.

Newark is New Jersey’s largest city with a population over 275,000.

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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.