A strict new smoking ban was passed in Wichita Falls, Texas, as the city council passed an ordinance that requires nearly all businesses, including bars and restaurants, to completely ban smoking within their walls.

Smoking will still be allowed in retail tobacco and electronic cigarette stores, with the city requiring that 75 percent of quarterly sales come from tobacco product and accessories in order to meet this definition. In addition, private residences are not covered unless they serve as a place of child care, adult day or health care facility.

In addition, smoking is banned within 20 feet of an entrance or open window of any business that allows anyone under 18 on the premises, smoking will be banned within five feet of any adults only business. Owners will be fined if individuals are caught smoking in the place of business.

Smoking is also banned within 20 feet of playgrounds, city-sponsored events, park pavilions, outdoor seating areas, public pools, ponds and the farmers market.

While the law goes into effect in 30 days, the ordinance does provide a two-year transition period to gives existing businesses adequate time to come into compliance, however any new business does not get to take advantage of that window. Full text of the ordinance can be found here, beginning on page 44.

Wichita Falls has a population of approximately 104,500 people and sits in the north part of Texas near the Oklahoma border, 140 miles northwest of Dallas and 140 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.

Charlie Minato contributed to this report.

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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.