On Thursday, the Board of Commissioners in Thurston County, Wash. passed a proposed smoking, tobacco and vaping ban for the county’s parks, preserves and trails.
The ban, which goes into effect immediately, makes the use of any tobacco product, vaping device or marijuana a misdemeanor and punishable by a fine of up to $250. The ordinance includes a statement of purpose of protecting visitors and volunteers from the known dangers of secondhand smoke and to prevent initiation of tobacco use, which the county says currently sits at 14 percent of adults. That rate also applies to 12th grade students, with 23 percent using vaping devices and 26 percent using either cigarettes, vapes, or both products.
Thurston County is located in the south Puget Sound area, approximately 70 miles southwest of Seattle. It is home to an estimated 270,000 residents.
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.