Woodstock, Ill. Delays Smoking Ban Vote

A smoking ban for the downtown area of Woodstock, Ill. was supposed to be voted on during Tuesday’s city council meeting, but the vote won’t occur until at least October as the ordinance gets redrafted with more input from the community.

The ban would apply to an area known as the Park in the Square, as well as the sidewalks and streets adjacent to it. Local business owners and community members have complained to the council that the loitering that comes with cigarette smoking and the proliferation of cigarette butts in the area is an eyesore and contributes to a “seedy” image of the area, according to a report from the Northwest Herald.

Businesses are already covered by a 15-foot buffer area provided for by the Smoke Free Illinois Act, but enforcement has been a problem according to some. Critics of the ban wonder how an all out ban would be enforced, given the existing issues.

The ban will be brought up again at the Oct. 6 meeting.

Woodstock is located approximately 50 miles northwest of Chicago, with a population of nearly 25,000 residents.