Oceanside bans smoking in restaurant patios

OCEANSIDE Oceanside will ban smoking in outdoor patios after all, the City Council decided Wednesday night.

The city first began taking steps in that direction in May 2013, then stalled when a divided City Council couldnt agree on the exact rules.

With a new council majority in place after the November election, the panel voted 3-2 Wednesday to approve an ordinance banning smoking at outdoor dining areas, including bars and restaurant patios. The law is similar to others passed in Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Del Mar and the County of San Diego.

Councilwoman Esther Sanchez said the city has a duty to protect peoples health.

For about eight years, I was a smoker. I thought it was a social kind of thing, she said. But when someone dared me to quit, I found out how hard it was.

Councilmen Jack Feller and Jerry Kern voted against the ordinance, saying businesses should be allowed to decide whether to offer patios where customers can smoke.

Several groups including the North Coastal Prevention Coalition and the Vista Community Clinic had lobbied the city to OK the ban, saying that secondhand smoke endangers the health of nonsmoking patrons and employees.

Members of the North Coastal Prevention Coalition said about 69 of the citys more than 100 restaurants are already smoke-free establishments. They said eight cities in the county and about 120 cities in the state have adopted smoke-free outdoor dining policies.

About a dozen people spoke in favor of the ordinance Wednesday. Several said they didnt want themselves or their families exposed to secondhand smoke when visiting Oceanside restaurants.

Several business owners said the rules would infringe on their right to provide areas for smoking patrons.

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Oceanside bans smoking in restaurant patios