The northern Arkansas city of Harrison appears headed towards a smoking ban in city parks and sports facilities, as the city council held a first reading on the proposal Thursday night.

The anti-tobacco ordinance would also prohibit the use of electronic nicotine delivery devices and extend into the parking lots of the affected areas. On Monday, the Harrison Parks and Recreation Committee voted to give its support to the ban.

While it takes three readings of a proposal for it to receive final approval, the council decided to suspend the second and third readings and move them to its Nov. 19 meeting in order to give the public an opportunity to comment on the matter, according to HarrisonDaily.com

Fines for violators would start at $25 for the first offense, $50 for the second and $300 for a third violation, all of which would have court costs added on as well. Persons refusing to comply with the ban could also be cited for criminal trespassing.

Harrison is home to just over 13,000 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.