Devils Lake smoking ban could be in place by the spring

A smoking ban could be in place in Devils Lake by spring.

The Devils Lake City Commission likely will have the first reading of a new ordinance on Dec. 6, with the final reading Dec. 20.

The timetable was put into motion by the Nov. 2 Election, when Devils Lake voters approved a ban on smoking in public places, including bars, by a 1,281-936 vote, or a margin of about 58 percent to 42 percent.

The commission discussed the vote and the proposed ordinance at its meeting Monday evening.

“The vote sent a strong signal that people want the ban,” Mayor Dick Johnson said. “Now that we’ve had the advisory vote, it can’t be referred.”

The proposed ordinance, as it was reviewed Monday, allows smoking huts outside of bars. However, it sets no minimum distance away from the businesses, according to the mayor.

The public vote earlier this month came after a survey, commissioned by Lake Region Tobacco Free Coalition, found that two-thirds of Devils Lake area adults wanted a smoking ban.

Reach Bonham at (701) 780-1110; (800) 477-6572, ext. 110; or send e-mail to kbonham@gfherald.com.

Tags: devils lake, smoking bans, daily updates, news, life, health