The Medford, Ore. City Council unanimously passed an ordinance that bans smoking at city-owned properties, including parks and all facilities such as City Hall and the grounds surrounding it. The lone exception to the ordinance is designated smoking areas at US Cellular Community Park, a multi-sport park used for city sports leagues and other events.
The ordinance bans the smoking of cigarettes, cigars, pipes, hookahs or any other product containing tobacco leaf, as well as the use of snuff or chewing tobacco and e-cigarettes. Violators of the ordinance could face fines of up to $250.
It was passed last Thursday and goes into effect immediately, with existing signage at parks and city facilities being modified to reflect the change, according to MailTribune.com.
Medford is located in southwestern Oregon and is home to approximately 76,000 residents.
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, the G-League's Valley Suns, 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.