A ban on smoking will soon be coming to the parks of Van Buren, Ark. as on Monday night the city council approved a ban on the use of all tobacco products and electronic smoking devices in those spaces. As part of the proceedings, the council voted to bypass procedural rules and advance to the second and third readings while enacting the emergency clause.

While the city has yet to post details of the ban on its website, SWTimes.com reports that violators of the ban will face a fine of up to $25 for the first offense before it escalates to $50 for the second offense, $100 for the third offense and $250 for any subsequent offense.

There are a few exceptions to the ban, as properties that are under lease within the city won’t be subject to the ban won’t have to snuff out smoking, a group that includes property leased to the Cedars Country Club.

Van Buren is located in the northwestern part of the state, with a 2016 population estimate putting the population at 23,367 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.