The Pittsburgh suburb of Bethel Park has enacted a new ban on smoking and tobacco use for its parks, with the vote coming during Monday’s council meeting.

As with other existing rules of park use, individuals smoking or using tobacco in parks can be fined up to $500.

The ban comes as part of an attempt to promote public health and the public interest, according to language from the ordinance.

Bethel Park is located approximately 10 miles south of Pittsburgh and is home to 32,000 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, the G-League's Valley Suns, and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, 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.