Smoking in the parks of La Crosse, Wis. will soon come to an end, as on Thursday night, the La Crosse City Council voted 9-4 in favor of an anti-smoking ordinance.

The ban applies to traditional tobacco products as well as e-cigarettes and vaping devices, though it does allow for the creation of designated smoking areas. In order to create a designated smoking area, it must meet several requirements, including having clearly designated signage; it must be at least 50 feet away from picnic areas, sports fields or improvements used for recreational activity, food vendors, lines for recreational activities in the recreational area and heating and air conditioning intakes or vents; and it must be completely unenclosed.

The ban goes into effect immediately.

La Crosse is home to just under 52,000 residents and is located on the state’s western border.

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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.