Effective May 16th the City of Carpinteria will begin implementing a new law that bans tobacco use in almost all outdoor locations, becoming the first city in Santa Barbara County to do so. The law was passed to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke and decrease tobacco-related litter in Carpinteria.
The new law prohibits tobacco use in the following places:
- business entryways
- outdoor worksites (except for a few designated smoking areas for employees)
- bar and restaurant patios
- public events
- public streets and sidewalks
- in common outdoor areas in multi-unit housing complexes
Carpinteria joins a list of 37 communities throughout the state that regulate smoking outdoors. The City of Carpinteria has been known for its progressive tobacco control policies and has restricted smoking in several outdoor locations since 1995, including the county’s first ban on smoking in parks and beaches in 2005.
For specific information about the law, go to www.carpinteria.ca.us.