The western Arkansas city of Mena has expanded its existing smoking ban and will soon prohibit smoking in the city’s three parks.

The city council voted unanimously in favor of the new ban during its Aug. 9 meeting, while keeping the fine for violators at $50. Previously, smoking had been limited to designated smoking areas in city parks as part of a 2012 piece of legislation, according to a report from the Mena Star.

Mena has an estimated population of 5,737 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.