Press Release: Irvine, CA adopts Right to be Free from Secondhand Smoke ordinance

The first recipient of the Local Recognition of Rights Award is the City of Irvine, California, which adopted an ordinance banning smoking in all public places. 

The law, Ordinance 19-17, expanded the city’s existing prohibitions to include all public places, such as sidewalks, streets, and alleys, as well as common areas of multi-union residences, including laundry rooms, play areas, and pools. The Ordinance became effective on December 12, 2019.

Anchoring the Ordinance is the city’s finding that “residents and visitors to the city have a right to be free from unwelcome secondhand smoke.” See Ordinance No. 19-17 at Section 4-10-501. 

In recognizing this legal right, Irvine became one of several hundred municipalities across the U.S. that have recognized new, emerging democratic, civil, and environmental rights at the local level. These new rights include the right to be free from exposure to synthetic pesticides, the right to be free from chemical trespass, the right to clean air and clean water, the right to sustainable agriculture, and the rights of ecosystems and nature.

The Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights is pleased to bestow this award to the city of Irvine, California for their work in expanding civil and environmental rights at the municipal level, and for seeking to preserve a healthy community for their constituents.