Smoking in the parks of Ridgecrest, Calif. is becoming a prohibited activity, as the city council recently passed an ordinance banning the consumption of tobacco products, marijuana and electronic cigarettes on park grounds.

Violators will be subject to a fine of no more than $100 for a first offense, while a second offense within one year comes with a $200 penalty, and a third offense will earn an individual a fine of up to $500.

The ban was passed by a 5-0 vote at the city council’s April 18 meeting, with signage to be installed in all of the city’s parks to follow in the coming weeks.

Ridgecrest is located just over 100 miles east of Bakersfield and 150 miles north of Los Angeles. It is home to an estimated 28,701 residents as of 2016.

 

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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.