Oregon Considers 363-Mile Long Smoking Ban

Restriction would make Oregon the first state to ban smoking at Oregon parks along its coastline.

August 22, 2014

SALEM, OR — Oregon parks officials held a public hearing earlier this week to consider a smoking ban along its entire coastline, the Columbus Dispatch reports.

The Oregon Parks and Recreation Commission (OPRC) plans to hold a number of similar hearings, gathering public feedback, before voting in October whether to pass a smoking ban along its entire 363-mile coastline.

If approved, the smoking ban at beaches would carry a $110 fine, though park officials said they would focus instead on warning rule-breakers, rather than issuing the fine.

A similar smoking ban at state parks was approved earlier this year, though several loopholes exist; for instance, visitors can still smoke in a private vehicle or at a rented tent site.

Oregon delegates management of its state-owned coastline to the OPRC.

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