Smoking is now a fineable offense in just under half the parks in Ann Arbor, Mich.

The city passed an outdoor smoking ban in April 2014 that in addition to prohibiting smoking within 10 feet of a bus stop and 20 feet of any windows, entrances or ventilation systems of city property, gave the city administrator the authority to designate other public lands as smoke-free.

In September, the city’s Park Advisory Committee made the formal recommendation to city administrator Steve Powers to designate four downtown parks and 73 other parks in the city that have children’s playgrounds as smoke-free. That request was approved, with the ban applying to cigarettes, cigars, pipes and electronic cigarettes. Violators would be subject to a $25 ticket or community service, though the city officials hope that signage will deter violations and the public will self-police the ban.

There are still 81 parks in the city that the ban does not apply to, at least not yet.

Ann Arbor is located in southeastern Michigan. It is home to the University of Michigan and has a population just under 120,000.

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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.