Livermore, Calif. To Vote on Downtown Smoking Ban

The Livermore City Council has scheduled a vote on a proposed smoking ban in the city’s downtown area for Monday night, and if passed, would mean the end of lighting up in one of the city’s busiest areas.

If passed, the ban would move smokers into designated areas in the downtown area, currently proposed as a handful of parking lots. The city would install signs throughout the downtown as well as ashtrays in those areas if the ordinance is approved.

The council will also be deciding whether to modify the language in an existing smoking-related ordinance that would change the current requirement of smokers being a “reasonable distance” from non-smoking areas to a fixed distance, with 20 feet the number being considered. The inclusion of electronic cigarettes and vaping devices in the smoking ban will also be up for debate.

The San Jose Mercury News reports that the council will consider a proposal seeking to ban smoking in open public places, including parks, bus stops, plazas and outdoor dining areas.

The ordinance was developed in partnership with the group Livermore Downtown Inc., a coalition of city and business leaders.

Livermore is located in the eastern part of the Bay Area, about 45 miles east of San Francisco. It has a population of just under 86,000 residents.