Fremont may be moving toward becoming smoke free in more public areas.
City councilmembers voted Tuesday to allow city staff to review its current smoking ordinance and suggest how to better regulate smoking to reduce secondhand smoke in public places throughout the city. Councilman Dominic Dutra was not in attendance.
The recommendation to reanalyze the city’s smoking laws came from Councilwoman Suzanne Chan, who said she lost her father due to lung cancer he developed from smoking tobacco.
Chan noted that she has also lost close friends who have died as a result of medical issues they’ve suffered from as a result of secondhand smoke.
“Re-examining our smoking ordinance is a way we can improve the health of the non-smoking population [of Fremont],” Chan said.
Chan also said that the City of Fremont received an overall grade of "D" in a recent analysis conducted by the American Lung Association. The “D” ranking was the city’s average grade in three categories: smoke-free outdoor protection, smoke-free multi-unit housing and reducing sales of tobacco products.
According to the Sept. 4 council agenda, Chan recommended that the city staff revise smoking laws to better protect non-smokers by looking at regulations for and in:
Fremont’s current smoking ordinance currently prohibits smoking in buildings, vehicles and other areas owned by the city and in enclosed public areas (such as elevators, restrooms, taxicabs, retail stores, restaurants, outdoor dining areas and more).
The city code also notes that smoking is not regulated in:
(To read the entire city ordinance regarding smoking, click here.)
Also at the Sept. 4 Fremont City Council Meeting:
Fremont City Council’s Sept. 11 meeting has been cancelled and its next meeting is scheduled for Sept. 18. Click here to review future agendas and to view minutes from former meetings.
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