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Enforcement of law needs to be stepped up for puffing scofflaws, some say.
Jump to full article: Glendale (CA) News-Press, 2009-11-20
Author: Melanie Hicken
Intro: When resident Stephen Brown learned last year that the city had enacted citywide smoking restrictions, he looked forward to sitting outside at his favorite coffee shop and breathing in the fresh air.
"For the past year I have been looking forward to the day when the patio will be smoke-free so that I may enjoy the outdoors. That day has not yet arrived," he said.
The city's smoking restrictions took effect last November with an emphasis on public education before the officials started hard enforcement. A year later, just 15 citations have been issued, according to the city attorney's office.
A year after Burbank enacted its own set of less restrictive smoking restrictions, more than 500 citations had been given out, albeit without a warning period. . . .
Armine Jimenez, Glendale's Fresh Air Ambassador, attributed the low number of citations to the law's warning requirement. Under the ordinance, violators can be cited only after first receiving a warning from a code inspector or police officer.
Warnings are difficult to track, which has made enforcement difficult, she said. . . .
The City Council is set to revisit the ordinance next month -- at which point Jimenez said city officials plan to ask that the warning requirement be removed. In the wake of the city's education campaign, which included stickers, banners, posters and advertisements, most residents should now be aware of the law, she said.
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