E-Cigarettes Banned in Multiple Tempe Parks: Citations on the Horizon

TEMPE, Ariz. — Starting July 29, the City of Tempe is enforcing a ban on smoking and e-cigarette use in several prominent local parks. This new smoke-free policy aims to promote health, enhance recreational experiences, and reduce smoking-related litter.

“Smoke-free environments can help promote health, enhance park experiences and protect the environment from smoking-related litter,” city officials emphasized in a statement. To inform the public, the city will place stickers at various parks. Violators of the new rule may face citations starting in September.

The smoke-free rule will impact numerous parks, including:

• Benedict Sports Complex
• Clark Park
• Creamery Park
• Daley Park
• Escalante Park
• Esquer Park
• Evelyn Hallman Park
• Jaycee Park
• Kiwanis Park
• Moeur Park
• Papago Park
• Parque de Soza
• Rio Salado Parks (including Tempe Town Lake, Tempe Beach Park, Town Lake Marina, Giuliano, and Tempe Arts Park)
• Tempe Sports Complex
• Tempe Woman’s Club Park
• Waggoner Park

Tempe first banned indoor smoking in 2002, later expanding the policy to include e-cigarettes in 2014. Officials are considering extending the new smoke-free rule to all city parks by the end of the year. This move follows in the footsteps of Phoenix, which restricted smoking in its parks a few years ago.