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HomeMy WebLinkAboutORDINANCES - 09241991 - 91-44 ORDINANCE NO. 91-44 (Amending the Smoking Ordinance) The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors ordains as follows: SECTION I : Division 440 (Sections 440-2.002 through 440-2.022 inclusive) of the County Ordinance Code is repealed. SECTION II: Division 440 (Sections 440-2.002 through 440-12.008 inclusive) is added to the County Ordinance code to read: Division 440 TOBACCO PRODUCTS Chapter 440 - 2 FINDINGS AND DEFINITIONS 440-2.002 Findings. (a) The board of supervisors of the County of Contra Costa hereby finds that: (1) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has determined that tobacco smoke is the major contributor of particulate . in door air pollution; and (2) Reliable studies have shown that breathing sidestream or secondhand smoke is a significant health hazard, in particular for elderly people, individuals with cardiovascular disease, and individuals with impaired respiratory function; including asthmatics and those with obstructive airway disease; and (3). Health hazards induced by breathing sidestream or secondhand smoke include heart disease, lung cancer, respiratory infection, decreased exercise tolerance, decreased respiratory function, bronchoconstriction, and bronchospasm; and (4) Nonsmokers with allergies, respiratory diseases and those who suffer other ill effects of breathing sidestream or secondhand smoke may experience a loss of job productivity or may be forced to take periodic sick leave because of adverse reactions to same, and (5) The smoking of tobacco, or any other weed or plant, is a danger to health; and (6) The health care costs and lost productivity incurred by smoking-related disease and death represent a heavy and avoidable financial drain on our. community; and (7) A. The free distribution of cigarettes and other tobacco products encourages people, to begin smoking and using tobacco products, and tempts those who had quit smoking to begin smoking again; and ORDINANCE NO. 91_44 1 Page 3 equipment or the lighting or emitting or exhaling the smoke of a pipe, cigar, or cigarette of any kind. (10) "Sports Arena" means sports pavilions, gymnasiums, health spas, boxing arenas, swimming pools, roller and ice rinks, bowling centers, halls, and other similar places where members of the public assemble to engage in physical exercise, participate in athletic competition, or witness sports events. (11) "Vending machine" means any electronic or mechanical device or appliance the operation of which depends upon the insertion of money, whether in coin or paper 'bill , or other thing representative of value, which dispenses or releases a tobacco product and/or tobacco accessories. (12) "Bowling lane" means the bowler's approach, the foul line and the lanes; (13) "Bowlers' settee" means the area immediately behind the bowling lane in which score is kept and seating is provided for bowlers waiting their turn to bowl ; (14) "Visitors' settee" means seating provided immediately behind the bowlers' settee; (15) "Bowling center concourse" means that area separated from the bowling lane, bowlers' settee, and visitors' settee by at least one step or a physical barrier. Chapter 440-4 REGULATION OF SMOKING 440-4.002 County-owned facilities. (a)- . Smoking is prohibited in all buildings, vehicles, or other enclosed areas occupied by county employees, owned or leased by the county or otherwise operated by the county. (b) This prohibition is applicable to the grounds of the County's Jails and County Juvenile System facilities to the extent allowed by law. 440-4.004 Prohibition of smoking in enclosed places. Smoking is prohibited in the following places within the unincorporated area of Contra Costa County: (1) All enclosed areas available to and customarily used by the general public and all businesses patronized by the public, including, but not limited to, retail stores, the common areas of hotel and motels, pharmacies, banks, shopping malls, and other offices; (2) All restaurants. The owner, manager or operator of the restaurant shall post signs as prescribed by Section 440-4.010(a) and remove all ashtrays from tables. (3) Waiting rooms, hallways, wards, and semi-private rooms of health facilities, including, but not limited to, hospitals, clinics, physical therapy facilities, doctors' offices, except that health facilities shall also be subject to the provisions of Section ORDINANCE NO. 91-44 Page 5 technical , administrative or other business or work functions; and, conference and meeting rooms, classrooms, auditoriums, rest rooms, medical facilities, hallways, and elevators. (b) The provisions of this division shall be communicated to all employees within three weeks of its adoption, and at least annually thereafter. 440-4.008 Optional smoking areas. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this division to the contrary, the following areas shall not be subject to the smoking restrictions of this division: (1) A private residence, including one which may serve �as a place of employment, except when covered by Section 440-4.004(11) ; (2) Bars, except as provided otherwise in this division; (3) Licensed' cardrooms; (4) Hotel and motel rooms rented to guests, provided however, that each hotel and motel designates not less than 30% of their guest rooms as , non-smoking rooms and removes ashtrays from these rooms; (5) Rooms in restaurants, hotel and motel conference or meeting rooms and public and private assembly rooms while these rooms are being used for private functions; (6) Retail stores that deal exclusively in the sale of tobacco and smoking paraphernalia; (7) In places of employment, employers may provide specific smoking areas for employees provided all of the following conditions are met: A. The smoking area shall be provided with a heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) system designed such that none of the air from the smoking area will be recirculated into the other areas of the building. B. The smoking area shall be completely 'separated from the remainder of the building by solid partitions or glazing without openings other than doors, and all doors leading to the smoking area shall be self-closing. The doors shall be provided with a gasket so installed as to provide a seal where the door meets the stop on both sides and across the top. C. The smoking areas shall maintain a minimum negative pressure of 0.005-inch water column relative to nonsmoking areas. D. The employer shall submit written verification and test results to the Cont,r.a Costa health services department or its designees prepared by, a licensed mechanical contractor or engineer that the HVAC system has been designed and tested and meets the requirements set forth in subsections (a) through (c) above. E. If the HVAC system is part of a smoke removal system or. pressurization system, any modifications to these systems to pro'wide smoking areas will require approval from the Fire Protection District in which the room is located. Written verification of (this approval shall be provided to the Contra Costa health services department. F. If the specific smoking area is an employee break room, lunch room or other area which may be used by non-smoking employees, ORDINANCE NO. 91-44 4 Page 7 Chapter 440-10 OUT OF PACKAGE SALES 440-10.002 Out of Package Sales. No person shall sell or offer for sale cigarettes or smokeless tobacco not in the original packaging provided by the manufacturer. Chapter 440-12 ENFORCEMENT/PENALTIES 440-12.002 Enforcement. (a) Administration of this division shall be by the Contra Costa health services department or its designees. (b) Any citizen who desires to register a complaint hereunder may initiate enforcement consideration with the Contra Costa health services department or its designees. (c) Any owner, manager, operator or employer of any establishment controlled by this division may inform persons violating this division of the appropriate provisions thereof. 440-12.004 Penalties. (a) It is unlawful for any person who owns, managers, operates or other wise controls the use of any premises subject to the restrictions of this section to fail to properly post signs required hereunder. (b) It shall be unlawful for any person to smoke in any area restricted by the provisions of this section. (c) Any person or business who violates subsection (a) or (b) herein; or any other provision of this section, shall be guilty of an infractionpunishable by: (i) A fine, not exceeding one hundred dollars, for the first violation; (2) A fine, not exceeding two hundred dollars, for a second violation of this ordinance within one year; (3) A fine, not exceeding five hundred dollars, for each additional violation of this ordinance within one year. 440-12.006 Nonretaliation. No person or employer 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 division. 440-12.008 Other applicable laws. This division shall not be interpreted or construed to permit smoking where it is otherwise restricted by other applicable laws. 44 ORDINANCE NO. gl-