Golden, Colo. will start the new year with a new smoking ban, as a piece of legislation passed at the end of August goes into effect today.

Smoking is now banned the majority of public spaces, including parks, trails and in the city’s Washington Street downtown area.  The no-smoking buffer zone around a building’s primary entrance grows from 15 to 25 feet, while electronic cigarettes and vaporizers now fall under the city’s ban.

Violators of the new law could face a $50 fine.

Golden is the seat of Jefferson County and has a population of approximately 20,000 people. It is located just over 12 miles west of Denver.

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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.