> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Smoking ban proposal for Promenade snuffed - URL: https://www.smdp.com/see-union-page-6-smoking-ban-proposal-for-promenade-snuffed/ - Published: 2004-09-27T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T05:12:08.000Z - Author: Guest Author - Tags: local, Promenade, #archive-import *Proposed smoking ban doesn’t spark any action* *By GENEVA WHITMARSH Daily Press Staff Writer* PROMENADE — First it was the beach. Then the pier. Now, a proposal has been floated to ban smoking on the Third Street Promenade. But the idea went up in smoke last week when it was proposed to members of the Bayside District Corp. board. The suggestion to establish a smoke-free Promenade was made by community member Marc Strassman, who argued that smoking presents both cleanliness and health problems. “No one smokes cigarettes in the mall area, so people can breathe as freely there as they do in their own homes,” he said. “I think the people on the street deserve the same privileges.” Strassman’s short presentation included mention of the current lawsuit between the government and the tobacco industry. The tobacco industry is accused by the government of a long-running conspiracy to deceive the public about the dangers of smoking. “Given what this says about the tone, I think Santa Monica would be doing themselves and visitors a favor by having this twist,” Strassman said. But others in attendance sharply criticized the idea. “This is blooming excessive,” argued Santa Monica resident Karl Schober, who owns property downtown. “It’s just another example of why Santa Monica is described as the pontoon town of the western world. This is what they mean. “Why the hell not make the entire town smoke-free?” he added, sarcastically. Community activist Jerry Rubin said that’s precisely what should be done. “I think it’s a concern a lot of people have had for years,” he said. “I think it’s a great idea to have a smoke-free downtown, and I’d go a step further and suggest a city-wide ban, where no one can smoke outside.” Bayside Executive Director Kathleen Rawson said the board chose not to take any action on the proposal, meaning that it didn’t have the group’s support. The Bayside District Corp. manages downtown Santa Monica in conjunction with City Hall. “If there had been interest from the board, one of the board members would have asked for it to be placed on the agenda,” she said. “If another member of the public comes forward, we’ll say it’s already been addressed. If someone wants to bring it up, they’ll have to take it to the (City Council) level.” Prompted by a citizen movement, the Santa Monica City Council earlier this year banned smoking on area beaches, as well as in certain areas of the Santa Monica Pier. Other cities quickly jumped on the ban wagon, including Los Angeles and Malibu, where forms of smoking bans also now exist. Some argue that laws like the beach smoking ban can lead to more areas being restricted. Other California cities like Davis and Berkeley have made it illegal to smoke at all public events, outdoor restaurant areas, and in lines for anything from movie tickets to ATM machines. California is at the forefront of antismoking legislation. Perhaps the fiercest bans exist in Davis, Berkeley, Palo Alto and San Ramon, where smoking is illegal within 20 feet of any smoke-free area. For Santa Monica, that would mean stores, restaurants, offices, parks and government buildings. Outdoor dining areas are smoke free — by law — in Davis, Berkeley, Santa Barbara, San Ramon, Laguna Hills, Los Gatos and Dublin. Smoking also is prohibited in non-public waiting areas in Davis, Palo Alto, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Goleta, Carpinteria, Buellton and Dublin. Davis and Berkeley also have upped to 75 percent the number of rooms that must be set aside as smoke-free in every hotel. State law requires 35 percent, city officials said. David Barrett, who is visiting from London, scoffed at the idea of a ban as he lit up Friday afternoon on the Promenade. “Well, where else are you going to smoke?” he asked. Another visiting tourist, who doesn’t smoke, said, “I think it’s OK not to smoke in a bar, but you should be able to smoke outside.” However, there were some who thought the ban would be a good idea. “I’m against smoking, and I think it’s great,” said Khadijah Salahuddin, a mother of two. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/092704-02_01.jpg) to the Daily Press Conwald Charles enjoys a smoke on the Third Street Promenade recently. (Photo: Susan Tam/Special) *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 27, 2004.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/092704.pdf?ref=smdp.com)