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Smoking laws difficult to enforce, official says 

After six months of public outreach, the city's anti-smoking restrictions could benefit from some adjustments, city officials said Tuesday.

Eliminating the warning given to violators and requiring signs in smoking prohibited areas were among early recommendations to the City Council Tuesday in order to assist the implementation of the relatively new law, which has started to show some cracks as city officials attempt to enforce it.

Enforcing the new rules, which prohibit smoking on nearly all publicly accessible land in Glendale, among multifamily housing complexes and city visitors has also been challenge, Neighborhood Services Administrator Sam Engel said, as the city gets closer to the hard-enforcement phase of the ordinance.

"City Council and staff knew at the time of adoption this effort would not be accomplished overnight and it would involve significant public outreach to effect a community behavioral change that would mark this program's success in the long haul," Engel said.

The City Council in October voted to prohibit lighting up on all city property, including parks, in common areas of apartment complexes, outdoor dining areas that can't meet strict separation requirements and nearly all publicly accessible private property, such as the Marketplace and Americana at Brand.

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