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Menlo Park introduces beefed-up smoking ordinance  

Menlo Park residents could face fines of up to $500 for lighting up at apartment complex pools, bus stops or ATM lines after the council agreed to strengthen the city's 17-year-old smoking ordinance Tuesday night.

After about two hours of discussion, the city council voted 4-1 to adopt the proposed changes, which bar smoking in most common areas of multi-unit apartment and condominium complexes but stop short of banning the practice on balconies, patios or inside individual units.

"This is a huge improvement from where we are today," Council Member Kelly Fergusson said before the vote. "Does it go as far as I'd like to see? Maybe not. I hope in the future there would be room for making it stronger."

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