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Paducah City Commission to Vote on Smoking Ordinance Amendment

Matt Markgraf, WKMS news

  

  Paducah City Commissioners will vote Tuesday night on an amendment to the city’s smoking ordinance to suggest how citizens can enforce the policy.  

Mayor Brandi Harless wrote in her blog the additional language to the policy “states that if someone is in an area that is smoke-free, a citizen may consider politely letting someone know the area is smoke-free.”

She said there is no obligation to make such a statement. Currently, a person who smokes in a prohibited area area can be fined $50. They may also be asked to leave the premises if they refuse to do so. Departments within the city government, may also participate in enforcement as they see the policy being violated.

Paducah adopted its first smoke-free policyin 2006 prohibiting the smoking of tobacco products in buildings open to the public. Earlier this year the Commission extended that policy to include outdoor areas like playgrounds and public parks with limited exceptions.

A 2010 report by the Kentucky Center for Smoke-free Policy shows as a result of compliance with Paducah's smoke-free law that covers all workplaces and places open to the public, the indoor air quality in Paducah public venues improved by 89%. The indoor air quality was assessed in nine businesses before and after implementation of the Paducah smoking ban.

 

Nicole Erwin is a Murray native and started working at WKMS during her time at Murray State University as a Psychology undergraduate student. Nicole left her job as a PTL dispatcher to join the newsroom after she was hired by former News Director Bryan Bartlett. Since, Nicole has completed a Masters in Sustainable Development from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia where she lived for 2 1/2 years.
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