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Peachtree City tweaks non-smoking ordinance

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com

Non-smoking restaurants in Peachtree City no longer need to display their non-smoking signs.

That’s partly because the statewide ban on indoor smoking, which took effect in July, made the signs unnecessary. The state law requires establishments that allow smoking to post a sign notifying that smoke is present at the facility, officials said.

So the Peachtree City Council amended its smoking ordinance last week. Mayor Steve Brown noted that much of the state law’s requirements were copied from the city’s ordinance.

Another change ratified by council is the increase in fines for violations. The city originally capped the fine for smoking in a prohibited area at $50, but the state law allows a fine range from $100 to $500.

The new ordinance also creates an additional exemption where smoking can occur. That’s because the state non-smoking law allows smoking in places where tobacco is manufactured, imported, wholesaled, processed or stored, officials said.

Some aspects of Peachtree City’s smoking ordinance will remain more stringent than the state law, such as the 25-foot non-smoking area around each facility where smoking is banned.