Smoking Ban in Parks, Beaches, Anywhere You Want to Smoke to Go Into Effect

You have two weeks to smoke freely in the outdoors. Starting May 23, the city-wide ban on smoking in parks and beaches goes into effect. That means you can no longer smoke in Central Park, the Brooklyn Heights promenade, the Coney Island boardwalk, even the horrid pedestrian plaza outside of Macy's, where if ever a cigarette were needed, well, it's there. You can, however, smoke while tucked away in your own personal human containment bubble, inside your apartment, presuming no one smells it and reports you to your "non-smoking building" owners. Plus, that might be a fire hazard. You should probably just quit. It's a nasty habit, anyway.

What's most intriguing about this new ban is that the city expects to rely on enforcement by a group of self-appointed civilian narcs, which has apparently worked in L.A. and Chicago:

According to a joint news release from the Parks Department, Health Department and Department of Transportation: "We expect the new law will be enforced by New Yorkers themselves, who will ask people to follow the law and stop smoking."

This should be fun! FYI: Violators could be fined $50.

Smoking Ban Sneaks Up On New Yorkers Still Puffing Away [NBC NY via BrooklynHeightsBlog]