A ban on smoking in most public places in San Francisco now includes outdoor restaurant seating.
The legislation, which the Board of Supervisors passed in March, went into effect this week, according to the San Jose Mercury News.
Restaurants are being required to post new signs at every entrance stating "Smoking only 1) at the curb or 2) if no curb, at least 15 ft. from exits, entrances, operable windows and vents," according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The sign must also include the international "no smoking" symbol with a diameter of at least three inches. Failure to comply could cost restaurant owners $500 per citation.
Originally, the Golden Gate Restaurant Association balked at the legislation because restaurant owners would have had to police patrons and even non-patrons who were smoking outside their establishments. But this was dropped from the final legislation, and the association now supports the ban.
Exemptions remain that allow smoking at owner-operated bars and tobacco shops, according to NBC Bay Area.
