While it likely won’t be finalized until September, the Astoria City Council gave its initial approval to a ban on smoking–including marijuana–and other forms of tobacco use for its city parks by a 4-1 vote.

There was concern expressed at the meeting by some residents about how and if the ban will be enforced, but city officials believe it will be largely self-enforcing and hope to use it as a means to change the culture of allowing smoking in public places. No one spoke in opposition of the ban.

The Daily Astorian called the ban “likely to pass.”

Astoria has a population of just over 9,500 residents and is located in the northwest corner of the state, just over 70 miles from Portland.

Avatar photo

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.