Title 8 HEALTH AND SAFETY
Chapter 8.30 SMOKING
8.30.010 Title.
8.30.020 Findings and purpose.
8.30.030 Definitions.
8.30.040 Application of chapter to city-owned facilities.
8.30.050 Prohibition of smoking in enclosed places and notices for multi-housing.
8.30.055 Prohibition of smoking in unenclosed places.
8.30.060 Smoking policy requirements.
8.30.070 Power to adopt more restrictive smoking policies.
8.30.080 Smoking optional areas.
8.30.090 Posting of signs.
8.30.100 Enforcement.
8.30.110 Violations and penalties.
8.30.120 Nonretaliation.
8.30.130 Public education.
8.30.140 Governmental agency cooperation.
8.30.150 Other applicable laws.
8.30.010 Title.
This chapter shall be known as the smoking pollution control ordinance.
(Prior code § 4-10.01)
8.30.020 Findings and purpose.
The City Council of the city finds that:
A. Numerous studies have
found that tobacco smoke is a major contributor to indoor air pollution;
and
B. Reliable studies have shown that breathing secondhand smoke is a
significant health hazard for certain population groups, including elderly
people, individuals with cardiovascular disease, and individuals with impaired
respiratory function, including asthmatics and those with obstructive airway
disease; and
C. Health hazards induced by breathing secondhand smoke include
lung cancer, respiratory infection, decreased exercise tolerance, decreased
respiratory function, bronchoconstriction, and bronchospasm;
and
D. Nonsmokers who suffer allergies, respiratory diseases and other ill
effects of breathing secondhand smoke may experience a loss of job productivity
or may be forced to take periodic sick leave because of such adverse reactions;
and
E. Numerous studies have shown that a majority of both nonsmokers and
smokers desire to have restrictions on smoking in public places and places of
employment; and
F. Smoking is a documented cause of fires, and cigarette and
cigar burns and ash stains on merchandise and fixtures cause economic losses to
businesses. Accordingly, the City Council finds and declares that the purposes
of this chapter are:
1. To protect the public health and welfare by
prohibiting smoking in public places except in designated smoking areas, and by
regulating smoking in places of employment, and
2. To strike a reasonable
balance between the needs of smokers and the need of nonsmokers to breathe
smoke-free air, and to recognize that, where these needs conflict, the need to
breathe smoke-free air shall have priority. (Prior code
§ 4-10.02)
8.30.030 Definitions.
The following words and phrases, whenever used in this chapter, shall be
construed as defined in this section:
“Bar” means an area or a
room utilized primarily for the sale of alcoholic beverages for consumption by
patrons on the premises and in which the serving of food is incidental to the
consumption of such beverages.
“Business” means any sole
proprietorship, partnership, joint venture, corporation or other business entity
formed for profit-making purposes.
“City Manager” means the city
of Oakland City Administrator or his or her designee.
“Dining
area” means any area available to or customarily used by the general
public or employees, that is designed, established, or regularly used for
consuming food and drink.
“Employee” means any person who is
employed by any employer, as defined in this section, in the consideration for
direct or indirect monetary wages or profit and any person who volunteers his or
her services for a nonprofit entity.
“Employer” means any
person, partnership, corporation, or nonprofit entity which employs the service
of one or more persons, and includes the city of
Oakland.
“Enclosed” means closed in by a roof and four or more
connected walls with appropriate openings for ingress and
egress.
“Multi-housing complex” means any housing complex with
two or more separate units.
“Multi-housing common area” means
any common area of a multi-housing complex accessible to and usable by more than
one residence, including but not limited to halls and paths, lobbies, laundry
rooms, common cooking areas, outdoor dining areas, play areas, swimming pools,
and parking lots.
“Nonprofit entity” means any organization
exempt from federal income taxation under Section 501 of the Internal Revenue
Code or any organization exempt from State Income Taxation under Section 23708
of the California Revenue and Taxation Code.
“Place of
employment” means any enclosed area under the control of any employer
which employees normally frequent during the course of employment, including,
but not limited to, work areas, employee lounges, breakrooms and restrooms,
conference and classrooms, cafeterias, hallways, employer-owned vehicles used in
employment or for business purposes, hotel and motel lobbies, meeting rooms and
banquet rooms, and warehouses. A private residence is not a place of employment
unless it is used as licensed health care or a licensed child or adult care
facility.
“Recreational area” means any outdoor area, owned or
operated by the city of Oakland, open to the general public for recreational
purposes, regardless of any fee or age requirement, including, but not limited
to: parklands, including portions of parks, such as picnic areas, playgrounds,
or sports fields; walking paths; gardens; hiking trails; bike paths; horseback
riding trails; athletic fields; skateboard parks; and amusement parks. For the
purposes of this chapter, “recreational area” does not include
outdoor areas of city-owned golf courses.
“Retail tobacco store”
means a retail store utilized primarily for the sale of tobacco products and
tobacco accessories and in which the sale of other products is merely
incidental.
“Service area” means any area designed to be or
regularly used by one or more persons to receive or wait to receive a service,
enter a public place, or make a transaction, whether or not such service
includes the exchange of money, including, for example, ATMs, bank teller
windows, telephones, ticket lines, bus stops, waiting rooms, and cab
stands.
“Smoking” means inhaling, exhaling, burning, or carrying
any lighted cigar, cigarette, weed, or other combustible substance. (Ord. 12837
§ 4 (part), 2007; Ord. 12708 §§ 1 (part) and 2, 2005: prior
code § 4-10.03)
8.30.040 Application of chapter to city-owned facilities.
All facilities owned by the city shall be subject to the provisions of
this chapter. (Ord. 12837 § 4 (part), 2007; prior code
§ 4-10.04)
8.30.050 Prohibition of smoking in enclosed places and notices for multi-housing.
A. Smoking shall be prohibited in the following enclosed
places:
1. Places of employment;
2. New and existing multi-housing
common areas;
3. Service areas.
B. Disclosure of Smoking Policy in New
and Existing Multi-Housing:
1. All landlords in multi-housing complexes are
required to disclose to prospective tenants whether smoking is permitted in the
unit to be rented and, which units are designated smoking units and the smoking
policy for the complex.
2. All sellers of condominium units are required to
disclose to prospective buyers respectively whether smoking is permitted in the
unit and the smoking policy for the complex. (Ord. 12837 § 4 (part), 2007;
prior code § 4-10.05)
8.30.055 Prohibition of smoking in unenclosed places.
Smoking shall be prohibited in the following unenclosed
places:
A. Service areas;
B. Dining areas;
C. Recreational areas,
except in parking areas used for parking vehicles of persons accessing the
recreational area;
D. Multi-housing common areas, except that the landlord
may designate a portion of the outdoor area of the premises as a smoking area as
provided in subsection 1 below.
1. A designated smoking area:
a. Must be
located at least twenty-five (25) feet from any indoor area where smoking is
prohibited;
b. Must not include and must be at least twenty-five (25) feet
from outdoor areas primarily used by children, including, but not limited to,
areas improved or designated for play or swimming;
c. Must be no more than
twenty-five percent (25%) of the total outdoor area of the premises of the
multi-housing complex;
d. Must have a clearly marked perimeter;
e. Must
be identified by conspicuous signs; and
f. Must not overlap with any area in
which smoking is otherwise prohibited by this chapter or other provisions of
this Code, state law, or federal law. (Ord. 12837 § 4 (part),
2007)
8.30.060 Smoking policy requirements.
A. Smoking shall not be permitted in places of employment and employers
shall post “No Smoking” or “Smoke Free” signs in
accordance with Section 8.30.090. Employers should promote smoking cessation
programs for smoking employees and contact local health organizations for
assistance and materials in this effort.
B. Smoking outside of any enclosed
place where smoking is prohibited shall occur at a minimum distance of
twenty-five (25) feet from any building entrance, exit, window and air intake
vent of the building, except that bars are exempted from the outside smoking
requirements of this section, provided the smoke does not enter adjacent areas
in which smoking is prohibited by law or by the owner, lessee, or licensee of
the adjacent property.
C. This provision shall not apply to exempted
governmental and educational agencies with facilities located in the city. (Ord.
12837 § 4 (part), 2007; Ord. 12708 § 1 (part), 2005: prior code
§ 4-10.06)
8.30.070 Power to adopt more restrictive smoking policies.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, any owner, operator,
manager or employer or other person who controls any establishment or place of
employment or multi-housing complex regulated by this chapter, may adopt
policies relating to smoking which are more restrictive than those provided
herein. (Ord. 12837 § 4 (part), 2007; prior code
§ 4-10.07)
8.30.080 Smoking optional areas.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, to the contrary, the
following areas shall not be subject to the smoking restrictions of this
chapter:
A. Enclosed areas of private, detached, single family residences,
except those used as licensed child care, adult care, or health care
facilities;
B. Unenclosed areas of private, detached, single family
residences, except, during their hours of operation, those used as licensed
child care, adult care, or health care facilities;
C. Retail tobacco
stores;
D. By performers during theatrical productions, if smoking is an
integral part of the story. (Ord. 12837 § 4 (part), 2007; prior code
§ 4-10.08)
8.30.090 Posting of signs.
A. “No Smoking” or “Smoke Free” signs, with
letters of no less than one inch in height or the international “No
Smoking” symbol (consisting of a pictorial representation of a burning
cigarette enclosed in a red circle with a red bar across it) shall be clearly,
sufficiently and conspicuously posted in every building or other place where
smoking is regulated by this chapter, by the owner, operator, manager or other
person having control of such building or other place, except that signs are not
required inside non-smoking units of multi-housing complexes. For purposes of
this chapter, the City Administrator or appropriate designee shall be
responsible for the posting of signs in regulated facilities of the
city.
B. Notwithstanding this provision, the presence or absence of signs
shall not be a defense to the violation of any other provision of this chapter.
(Ord. 12837 § 4 (part), 2007; prior code § 4-10.09)
8.30.100 Enforcement.
A. Enforcement of this chapter shall be implemented by the City
Administrator, or his or her designee.
B. Any citizen who desires to
register a complaint under this chapter may initiate enforcement with the City
Administrator or his or her designees.
C. Any owner, manager, operator or
employee of any establishment regulated by this chapter shall have the right to
inform persons violating this chapter of the appropriate provisions
thereof.
D. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, a private
citizen may bring legal action to enforce this chapter. (Ord. 12837 § 4
(part), 2007; prior code § 4-10.10)
8.30.110 Violations and penalties.
A. It is unlawful for any persons to smoke in any area where smoking is
prohibited by the provisions of this chapter.
B. Any person who violates any
provision of this chapter shall be guilty of an infraction, punishable
by:
1. A fine not exceeding one hundred dollars ($100.00) for a first
violation;
2. A fine not exceeding two hundred dollars ($200.00) for a
second violation of this chapter within one year;
3. A fine not exceeding
five hundred dollars ($500.00) for each additional violation of this chapter
within one year. (Prior code § 4-10.11)
8.30.120 Nonretaliation.
No person shall discharge, refuse to hire, or in any manner retaliate
against any employee or applicant for employment because such employee or
applicant exercises any rights afforded by this chapter.
No person shall
intimidate, harass, or otherwise retaliate against any person who seeks to
attain compliance with this chapter. Moreover, no person shall intentionally or
recklessly expose another person to secondhand smoke in response to that
person’s effort to achieve compliance with this chapter. (Ord. 12837
§ 4 (part), 2007; prior code § 4-10.12)
8.30.130 Public education.
The City Administrator shall engage in a continuing program to explain and
clarify the purposes of this chapter to citizens affected by it, and to guide
owners, operators, and managers in their compliance with it. (Ord. 12837 §
4 (part), 2007; prior code § 4-10.13)
8.30.140 Governmental agency cooperation.
The City Administrator shall annually request other governmental and
educational agencies having facilities within the city to establish local
operating procedures in cooperation and compliance with this chapter. The City
Administrator shall urge federal, state, county, and special school district
agencies to enforce their existing no smoking regulations and to comply
voluntarily with this chapter. (Ord. 12837 § 4 (part), 2007; prior code
§ 4-10.14)
8.30.150 Other applicable laws.
This chapter shall not be interpreted or construed to permit smoking where
it is otherwise restricted by other applicable laws. (Prior code
§ 4-10.15)
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