Under a bill passed unanimously by the County Council, smoking will be banned on most County-owned or -leased properties, including bus stops and bus shelters.
The County’s director of Health and Human Services will be allowed to designate outdoor smoking areas on certain County properties. This change was made with concerns on the impact Bill 33-12 could have on County-owned and -leased facilities that house programs used to treat people with addictions. It was pointed out that prohibiting smoking in these types of facilities could negatively impact the treatment of people who are stepping down from hard drugs.
The Health and Human Services Committee recommended that smoking should not be prohibited on County-owned golf courses. The only public course that would be currently impacted is the Falls Road course in Potomac.
