Essex County Bans Smoking In Public Parks, Including Montclair

Bad news for smokers in Essex County… your next butt could cost you up to $200.

On Wednesday, the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders passed a Smoke-Free Air ordinance banning smoking in any county-owned park.

The ban also applies to any area within 25 feet of any Essex County building entrance, whether it be owned, leased or used for official county business.

Prohibited are cigars, cigarettes, pipes, e-cigarettes, hookahs or “any other matter or substance which contains tobacco or any other matter that can be smoked.”

Violators are subject to:

• A written warning for the first offense
• A $100 fine for a second offense
• A $200 fine for a third offense

“The New Jersey Smoke-Free Air Act specifically authorizes local restrictions on smoking equivalent to, or greater than those provided in the New Jersey Smoke-Free Air Act for purposes of protecting public health,” the ordinance states.

The ordinance doesn’t state when the smoking ban will take effect.

Although the ban includes many popular attractions such as South Mountain Reservation and Turtle Back Zoo, there is one exception where smoking will still be allowed… Weequahic Park Golf Course in Newark.

See the full ordinance online here.

WHAT PARKS DOES THIS INCLUDE?

The list of Essex County parks includes:

• Anderson Park (Montclair)
• Becker Park (Livingston and Roseland)
• Belleville Park
• Branch Brook Park (Newark and Belleville)
• Brookdale Park (Montclair and Bloomfield)
• Eagle Rock Reservation (West Orange, Montclair and Verona)
• Essex County Cedar Grove Park
• Glenfield Park (Montclair and Glen Ridge)
• Grover Cleveland Park (Caldwell and Essex Fells)
• Hilltop Reservation (Verona)
• Independence Park (Newark)
• Ivy Hill Park (Newark)
• Kip’s Castle Park (Montclair and Verona)
• Mills Reservation (Cedar Grove)
• Monte Irvin Orange Park (Orange)
• Presby Memorial Iris Gardens (Montclair)
• Riker Hill Art Park (Livingston)
• Riverbank Park (Newark)
• Riverfront Park (Newark)
• South Mountain Reservation (Maplewood, Millburn, West Orange and South Orange)
• South Mountain Recreation Complex
• Turtle Back Zoo (West Orange)
• Vailsburg Park (Newark)
• Verona Park
• Veterans Memorial Park (Newark)
• Watsessing Park (East Orange and Bloomfield)
• Weequahic Park, excluding the Weequahic Park Golf Course (Newark)
• West Essex Park (Roseland)
• West Essex Trail
• West Side Park (Newark)
• Yanticaw Park (Nutley)

MUNICIPAL BANS

Several towns in Essex County have enacted or debated their own municipal smoking bans in recent years:

• See related article: Smoking Ban Considered on Town Grounds In Montclair
• See related article: Smoking Ban Ordinance Passes Unanimously In Maplewood
• See related article: Final Vote for Belleville Smoking Ban Pushed Back to June 9
• See related article: Millburn gets no-smoking signs for municipal parks
• See related article: Newark council passes anti-smoking, foreclosure ordinances

READER POLL

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