As was largely expected, the Ocean City, N.J.  City Council unanimously approved a smoking ban on the city’s boardwalk at its meeting on Thursday night, eliminating seven designated smoking areas, creating fines for those in violation of the ban, and extending the boundaries to include ramps and steps that lead to the popular area. The ordinance is expected to take effect in mid-July.

While the ordinance makes violations punishable by fines ranging from $100 to $1000 for repeat violations, Mayor Jay Gillian has indicated that enforcement will be as lenient as possible, with friendly requests to stop smoking and warnings being the primary method of bringing people into compliance.

The city must now address how the shift of smokers off the boardwalk will affect the surrounding area, and has already announced plans to enhance lighting in the surrounding areas as well as deal with possible litter and other ramifications from the ban.

Ocean City has approximately 11,500 residents and is located in Cape May County, 11 miles south of Atlantic City.

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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.