Smoking in a Delta park? Make sure you produce your ID when an officer asks you, or you could be facing an extra $200 fine.
The new rule is an addition to Delta’s ticketing bylaw, which outlines what bylaw officers can and can’t fine you for. Approved on Monday (Nov. 26) by Delta council, the amendment will allow bylaw officers to ticket someone who has failed to give their correct name or is obstructing an officer.
Each offence can result in a $200 fine.
Although officers can already fine for these offences when enforcing other bylaws (the business licence bylaw and the parks regulation bylaw, for example), it wasn’t included as part of Delta’s smoking bylaw.
RELATED: Delta says no to cannabis consumption in public spaces
The smoking bylaw was updated this past summer in advance of the legalization of marijuana. The updated bylaw includes restrictions on where the public can and can’t use cannabis, tobacco and e-cigarettes.
As part of the smoking bylaw, $200 fines already exist for smoking in a building, in vehicles like taxis, in transportation facilities like bus shelters and within 7.5 metres of a ventilation opening, event or municipal property, as well as for using pot on the highway and improperly disposing of lit cigarettes, cigars or joints.
According to a staff report, the updates to the smoking bylaw have been reasonably well-received by the public and has seen a high level of compliance.
grace.kennedy@northdeltareporter.com
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