A variety of new restrictions on smoking and tobacco use in El Cerrito, Calif. passed their first hurdle Tuesday, as the El Cerrito City Council unanimously approved the Smoking Pollution Protection Ordinance. The new restrictions, which were first drawn up in May, would ban smoking in parks, open spaces, sidewalks, multifamily housing and areas like bus stops. According to CBS San Francisco, these restrictions were explicitly approved on first reading, with penalties ranging from $100-500 per violation. A second reading is now scheduled for Oct. 7 with a targeted date of Jan. 1, 2015 for the introduction of the new law. The law would not just cover tobacco, but also extend to e-cigarettes and medical marijuana. It’s unclear according to that report if the proposed law would raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco to 21-years-old, something that was part of the early drafts of the legislation in May. El Cerrito is located in Contra Costa County, approximately 15 miles northeast of San Francisco. It is home to approximately 25,000 residents.
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