On Tuesday, the Grand Rapids City Commission passed an amendment to its existing clean air law that will prohibit smoking, vaping and the use of tobacco products in city parks as of Jan. 1, 2021.

The ban added city parks and cemeteries to the definition of a public place, and thus somewhere where smoking is not allowed, however it granted an exemption for the city-owned golf course, a change to the language in the original ordinance.

It added new language that prohibits people from disposing of tobacco products within the boundaries of any area where smoking is prohibited, as well as disposing them anywhere except for a designated tobacco product disposal receptacle.

The ban passed by a 6-1 vote.

Grand Rapids is home to approximately 200,000 residents, making it Michigan’s second most populated city.

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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 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.