The south Texas city of Edinburg has passed a new smoking ban, putting an end to lighting up in workplaces, public places, outdoor areas and city-owned facilities.

The ban was passed at the city council’s meeting on Tuesday, and while it goes into effect immediately, the city has announced a grace period of an undetermined length of time to help get the word out, according to KRGV-TV. Once that ban expires, fines for violating the ban will start at $200 and escalate to $2,000 for repeat violations.

Edinburg is the county seat and largest city in Hidalgo County, located about 18 miles north of the Mexico border and just north of McAllen. It has a population of just over 81,000 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 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.