Following a study session discussion that touched on the evils of second-hand smoke, the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday directed staff to return with a proposed smoking ban by this summer.
A draft of the potential ordinance already had been outlined in a March 7 memo by Health System Chief Jean Fraser and Family Services Director Brian Zamora to the board.
The proposed ban on indoor smoking was suggested by Supervisors Carole Groom and Adrienne Tissier and drew the support of their board colleagues.
"I'm pleased that we're going to look at it," Tissier said. "Having grown up with a smoker in the family and subjected to second-hand smoke, it would be a pleasure not to have that done to others."
During the meeting, Stanford researcher Neil Klepeis explained how cigarette smoke drifts between housing units through vents, ducts, cracks and gaps. A person living next door to a smoker is exposed to high levels of smoke particles, he said.
"It's a scientific fact that particles can get through," Klepeis said.
In addition to traditional tobacco products, the county should consider outlawing electronic cigarettes, Groom said. Noting that Santa Clara County "is taking up e-cigarettes," Groom noted that she and Tissier "decided we should include e-cigarettes in this ordinance if we decide to go forward."
In fact, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a resolution that bans smokeless vapor devices in county buildings and indicated it would consider tagging that prohibition onto other anti-smoking ordinances.
San Mateo County's draft ordinance would prohibit smoking in all housing facilities with two or more units. It would immediately take effect in common areas and newly rented or sold units, but wouldn't apply to current residents until 14 months after the ordinance is adopted.
An exception would be made for buildings with designated, unenclosed smoking areas at least 30 feet from the non-smoking spaces, according to the Health System memo.
Smokers who violate the ordinance could be fined up to $100 for the first infraction, up to $200 for the second infraction and up to $500 for each additional offense within a year.
The law would apply to more than 1,000 residential units within the unincorporated areas of the county, most of which are in North Fair Oaks and pockets of Redwood City, according to the Health System memo.
Belmont and Foster City already have passed similar bans.
During the public comment period of the meeting, Rhovy Lny Antonio, a government affairs director for the California Apartment Association, said while surveys show that the region's tenants prefer housing with smoke-free areas, her organization doesn't see the need for an across-the-board ban. Members of the association voluntarily enforce smoke-free rules, she said.
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