Michael Nutter, mayor of Philadelphia, signed an executive order on Tuesday that immediately bans smoking in public parks via an extension of the city’s Clean Indoor Air Worker Protection Act. The order affects Philadelphia neighborhood parks and watershed parks, totaling more than 11,000 acres of public space.

“Eliminating smoking in public parks is a commonsense policy that clearly aligns with our City’s existing smoke-free regulations for recreation centers, pools and playgrounds. Specifically, this policy protects the environment and the health and wellness of our citizens,” said Mayor Nutter.

The policy will be enforced by parks’ staff, though the order carries no fines or penalties for those in violation of it. The Department of Parks and Recreation and the Department of Public Health will support enforcement efforts through community education with a public awareness campaign, which includes the “no butts about it” media campaign.

Michael DiBerardinis, Deputy Mayor for Environmental and Community Resources, said that “Philadelphia’s parks, recreation and green spaces benefit our lives in many ways, such as improved water quality, connected communities and cleaner air,” adding that “this initiative will help to increase those public benefits and invite more people to these important spaces. This collaborative effort is an important step to helping us maintain a unified parks and recreation system which is safe, clean and ready to use for all Philadelphians.”

As of the 2010 census, Philadelphia ranked as the fifth-largest city in the United States, with a population of 1,526,006 people.

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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, 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.