|  | Public Health Safety | Smoking

California State Laws Regarding Public Smoking

Smoking in public places has become either illegal or severely curtailed in many locations around the United States. The state of California has many laws regarding smoking in public places.

  1. At Work

    • According to the California Labor Code, it is the job of an employer to protect its employees from the hazards of second-hand smoke. It is illegal throughout the state of California to allow an employee to smoke within an enclosed space at work. Enclosed spaces are defined by the code as elevators, lobbies and lounges, that are part of the physical structure of the building.

    State-owned Property

    • The Technical Assistance Legal Center (TALC), funded by the California Department of Health, states that it is illegal for anybody to smoke in a state- or county-owned building. This law extends to the outdoor entrances and exits of a building for 20 feet. It is also illegal for a person to smoke in a state-owned vehicle.

    Fines

    • TALC reports that if you break the smoking laws, you will pay a fine of between $50 and $200. If you continue to break the law in a repeated manner, you can expect to pay a $500 fine per each occurrence.

Smoking - Related Articles