It was with without opposition on Monday night that the city council of Forest Grove, Ore. passed the smoking and tobacco use ban that has been in the works since February. The Oregonian, which was first to report news of the ban’s passage, indicated that no one spoke in favor or in opposition to the ban at the council’s meeting. The ban officially goes into effect on July 9, and will prohibit the use of all tobacco products on city-owned or leased properties, public parks and during city-sponsored events. It does make an exception for streets and sidewalks. Just last week, a proposal that would have excluded all city-owned or leased properties from the ban was back on the table. While the ban does come with fines of $100 to $250 per violation, it is expected that there will be an education period for the first month or so, though that could extend to up to six months. Forest Grove police will be responsible for enforcing the ban and citing violators, though officers are being encouraged to use their discretion before issuing citations. Forest Grove is home to just over 20,000 residents and is part of Washington County, 25 miles west of ...
↧