Voters of St. Johnsbury, Vt. have effectively approved a smoking ban for town property, passing it during a recent election by a count of 653-314.

The ban’s language must still be developed, as the ballot proposal directs the town’s Selectboard to craft and approve an ordinance. What is to be included is a ban on smoking in parks, beaches, athletic fields and playgrounds, with fines reaching upwards of $200 for violators.

The ballot measure came after the Selectboard was unable to come to a consensus on the idea of such a ban last year and felt that the public should have a chance to weigh in via a ballot question.

St. Johnsbury is home to approximately 7,200 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.