Bend’s “tobacco-free campus” ordinance, approved by the City Council in November of 2006 in an effort to promote public health in the community, goes into effect Thursday, March 1.

The ordinance was designed to encourage a tobacco-free lifestyle by regulating tobacco use at City and Bend Urban Renewal Agency (BURA) owned facilities where official city business is conducted.  This includes City Hall, Public Works, the police station, fire stations, and the Hawthorne Transit Station.

The ordinance regulates the exterior of buildings from the edge of the building to the public sidewalk -- including parking lots. City campuses do not include the public sidewalk within the public right-of-way.

Tobacco products as defined in the ordinance include any tobacco cigarette, cigar, pipe tobacco, smokeless tobacco, chewing tobacco, or any other form of tobacco which may be utilized for smoking, chewing, inhalation, or other means of ingestion.

Tobacco-free signs have been placed around city campuses and notices have been posted in city facilities.

According to Andrea McCullough, the City’s Communications Manager, there are three steps to enforcing the tobacco-free campus ordinance. City police and code enforcement officers, the City Manager, or a designated representative have the authority to first request that a visitor utilizing tobacco products on a city campus discontinue use of that product.

If an individual continues to violate the ordinance after a representative has requested him or her to stop, the individual will be asked to leave the campus.

If the individual fails to cease tobacco use and leave the campus, he or she shall be in violation of ORS 164.245 criminal trespass in the second degree, which is a Class C misdemeanor.