Branson's smoking ban takes effect next month

The city of Branson’s smoke-free ordinance, approved in October by the board of aldermen, goes into effect July 1.

The smoking ban covers most indoor public spaces. While most outdoor spaces are not affected by the ordinance, smoking will be prohibited in city parks and within 6 feet of entrances of smoke-free establishments and 4 feet in the downtown district. Under the ordinance, up to 20 percent of hotel rooms at a single property can be designated as smoking rooms, according to a news release.

A violation of the ordinance would result in a $25 fine, well below an original draft that called for a max fine of $500.

Employers will be required to post no-smoking signs, and businesses that want to allow smoking have to provide annual reports showing over 70 percent of sales coming from smoking products, according to Springfield Business Journal archives.

The board’s vote came after Branson's 2012 Community Survey indicated 64 percent of respondents favored a citywide smoking ban in public places.