After Conducting Months of Research Into a Citywide Smoking Ban, California Town Officials Discovered Something Embarrassing

It seems that some cities hate smoking so much, they try to ban it twice.

After a Girl Scout troop in Turlock, California, complained in August about smoking in local parks, the town's Parks, Arts and Recreation Commission spent months debating a potential citywide ban, the Turlock City News reported.

The commission — and the angry residents who had argued against the ban — probably felt a little foolish when they learned the truth: smoking in city parks has already been banned for more than a decade.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Parks, Recreation & Public Facilities Superintendent Erik Schulze explained the mix-up:

In our research over the last month we were trying to figure out why our sports complex — the soccer fields — had a no-smoking ban but none of our other parks did. Due to our research we came across a council resolution from back in 2003 and within that council resolution there was a banning of smoking in parks and parking lots — all parks and parking lots. For whatever reason after the council took action on that item there was never any enforcement, never any signs posted.

The Journal noted that the commission would consider reaffirming the 2003 ban during its November meeting, and might discuss including e-cigarettes in the ban.

(H/T: Reason)

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