The City of Orange is considering a new ordinance to ban smoking in public parks, following similar measures in cities like Garden Grove.
The proposal, which surfaced earlier this year, aims to address public health concerns and provide law enforcement with additional tools to manage park activities.
During a council meeting in February, Mayor Dan Slater expressed that the ban could help curb homelessness by giving police a new way to handle vagrants and transients. “I have an ulterior motive for this, quite frankly,” Slater said. The council voted 4-1-2 on July 28 to advance the ordinance, with two members absent. If enacted, the ordinance would prohibit the use of any lighted or heated tobacco, nicotine, or cannabis products, as well as electronic smoking devices, in city parks…