DeKalb Commission Passes Smoking Ban

Smokers will soon have fewer places to light up in DeKalb County. Commissioners approved a smoking ban Tuesday that applies to most public outdoor spaces, including parks, playgrounds, and even ATM lines. DeKalb commissioner Larry Johnson says a similar ordinance, which included bars and night clubs, failed to pass last year .

“A lot of [establishments] set their business model up designed for certain clientele. So, to automatically just cut their profit streams off in the middle of a recession, you actually would put people out of work and we just felt it wasn’t the time to do that.”

Johnson says the commission may expand the ordinance in the future. A smoking ban in businesses serving people under 18 years of age has been in place since 2003. The new rules take effect in about two months.