Stockton Bans Smoking Within 20 Feet of Nearly All Businesses

[The Straight Story]

Stockton Bans Smoking Within 20 Feet of Nearly All Businesses
Written for the web by C. Johnson, Internet News Producer


Monday marked the inaugural day of a new Stockton ordinance that prohibits smoking within 20 feet of the doors and windows of any businesses open to the public.

The law is stricter than state law, which prohibits smoking within 20 feet of the entrances, exits and windows of public buildings. Smoking is also prohibited in enclosed places of employment, with few exceptions.

Stockton's ordinance does not require receptacles to be in place for extinguishing cigarettes, cigars or pipes. If an establishment chooses to provide receptacles, they must be 20 feet or as far as reasonably possible from doors. There are some exceptions for outdoor seating at restaurants and bars.

http://www.kxtv.com/storyfull2.aspx?storyid=13716

[SoCalDem]

1. California's nice weather means there are still some places

that will accomodate all of their customers.. We actually prefer Don Jose's outdoor patio.. Less screaming fidgeting kids and we can linger over coffee with a cigarette, if we choose to.

Before long, there will be roving bands of "smoking police" knocking on doors to "check" for tobacco..

It's too bad people cannot get organized.. It would be a hoot if all the smokers in California started orderiing their smokes from the Seneca Indians..free shipping no tax.. I bet they would miss the revenue

[SteppingRazor]

2. Grrrr...

Bloody tobacco nazis....

Scuse me while I crawl into my basement and poison my lungs

[datadiva]

3. I'd like to know

how they think they will enforce this. Our police are stretched to the limit now. Try calling one and see how long it takes them to answer a call.

[mongo]

4. Wouldn't this effectively ban smoking

on public sidewalks in any business district?

What a bunch of facsists.

[rinsd]

5. Yup...might as well go the whole nine yards and ban smoking in public (nt)

[devilgrrl]

6. Yeah, that'll save us all. Will help the ozone layer too?

[Dulcinea]

7. Don't they have anything better to worry about?

Our government is run by incompetent thugs, & they're worried about people smoking OUTSIDE?

Smoking bans are a sign of creeping fascism.