Smoking is now a fineable offense in just under half the parks in Ann Arbor, Mich. The city passed an outdoor smoking ban in April 2014 that in addition to prohibiting smoking within 10 feet of a bus stop and 20 feet of any windows, entrances or ventilation systems of city property, gave the city administrator the authority to designate other public lands as smoke-free. In September, the city’s Park Advisory Committee made the formal recommendation to city administrator Steve Powers to designate four downtown parks and 73 other parks in the city that have children’s playgrounds as smoke-free. That request was approved, with the ban applying to cigarettes, cigars, pipes and electronic cigarettes. Violators would be subject to a $25 ticket or community service, though the city officials hope that signage will deter violations and the public will self-police the ban. There are still 81 parks in the city that the ban does not apply to, at least not yet. Ann Arbor is located in southeastern Michigan. It is home to the University of Michigan and has a population just under 120,000.
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