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# Delaying smoke signals
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/delaying-smoke-signals/
- Published: 2008-07-02T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T20:01:59.000Z
- Author: Kevin Herrera
- Tags: Government & Politics, Promenade, #archive-import

CITY HALL Owners of restaurants and bars will have more time to train their employees on the latest changes to Santa Monica’s comprehensive smoking ban as city officials postpone enforcement until a proper public relations campaign is in place.

Deputy City Attorney Adam Radinsky of the Consumer Protection Unit said the change to the smoking ban, which makes business owners liable if they knowingly or intentionally allow customers to smoke in outdoor dining areas and patios, will go into effect July 22, 90 days after it was approved by the City Council.

However, officers will not enforce it until the council has approved of a marketing campaign being created by Southard Communications.

Smoking is illegal anywhere within 20 feet of public entrances, exits and windows in the seaside city. The ban, which went into effect on Thanksgiving Day in 2006, encompasses outdoor areas of assembly, such as the Third Street Promenade, Farmers’ Markets, outdoor dining areas, bus stops and ATM lines.

“The effective date has already been delayed,” Radinsky said. “Normally, \[ordinances\] go into effect 30 days after council approval and we made this go into effect 90 days to coincide with the PR program. Our office believes it would be wise and fair to wait until then since there has been a delay.”

Southard is close to developing a slogan and brand that is intended to celebrate living in a smoke-free environment, however, the council must approve the campaign and there is no telling when that my happen.

Southard is still waiting to hear back from City Hall on when the council will be available to review their proposal.

“The council’s schedule in the summer is in question,” said Roxana Janka, vice president of Southard, which has an office in Santa Monica.“They are not sure if they will have a quorum for some of the summer meetings because people will be on vacation and July 22 is pretty packed with the land use update.” Southard still has to finish a survey of residents and visitors to determine how many people are familiar with the smoking ban.

“Our guess is that most people know of the law, but they don’t know the details of the law,” Janka said.

Southard has worked with students from Santa Monica High School to develop a marketing strategy and are now working on creative concepts.

“We’d love to launch mid-August,” Janka said.

The business community has pushed for a PR campaign ever since the initial ban was approved in 2006, fearing that enforcement could turn tourists off. Representatives from the Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau pushed hard for the delay in enforcement, saying more time is needed to educate residents and visitors, as well as train employees.

“The business community has said we will support you, but we need help,” said Samantha O’Neil with the chamber. “We are excited about being a part of the process … but we need to work together and starting enforcement before we launch a campaign will hurt that process.”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 2, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/070208.pdf?ref=smdp.com)