On Wednesday night, the Encinitas City Council will consider an ordinance that could ban smoking on sidewalks and in parked cars.
In Encinitas, outdoor smoking is already prohibited in parks, trails, beaches and lots. Extending the ban to sidewalks is getting a little pushback from frequent visitors like Bryce Jarmon and Ellen Smith.
“[Smoking] it ruins the environment and the atmosphere of a place,” Jarman said.
“Especially publishes COVID with restaurants on the sidewalks. A lot of people dine in that area, it does a good public service to reduce that smoke,” Smith added.
However, the ban on smoking inside parked cars seems rather like government overreach to some.
“At some point it crosses a line. Your car, [next] your home,” said visitor Dave Duplissey.
“If I’m in my own space, windows open, nobody around, I think that’s my personal jurisdiction, it’s nobody else’s business,” Smith said.
If approved, the ordinance would cover most public spaces except private homes. Includes cigarettes, cannabis and electronic cigarettes.
The ordinance seems as concerned with discarded cigarette butts and empty vapor cartridges as it is with smoke.
In addition to private homes, other enclosed spaces such as moving cars and a small percentage of hotel rooms would remain smoking areas.
For some, enforcing this ordinance, however, can be a bit of a smokescreen.
“Not on a strict scale. I think there will be too many hooligans outside,” said Dave Duplissey.
The extended smoking ban proposal will be available to the City Council at the 6 p.m. meeting.
