California city weighs another crippling crackdown on smokers and vapers

San Diego smokers and vapers could soon be forced to put 25 feet between themselves and outdoor diners under a sweeping new city proposal.A sweeping proposal to create a citywide smoking and vaping buffer around outdoor dining areas advanced Wednesday, putting the measure one step closer to becoming law.The City Council’s Neighborhood Services Committee voted to send the proposal to the full council for consideration.The biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now.

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Never miss a story Councilmember Jennifer Campbell is behind the push, which would establish a uniform 25-foot smoke- and vape-free zone around covered outdoor dining areas throughout the city.Campbell’s office says the proposal already has broad public support.According to a presentation from her office, 78% of surveyed San Diego residents favor the ban, along with 88% of surveyed restaurant workers.The proposed crackdown would bring San Diego in line with most of the rest of the county.Smoke- and vape-free outdoor dining rules are already on the books in 15 of San Diego County’s 19 jurisdictions, while the city has largely left outdoor smoking policies up to individual restaurants.A July 2025 report from the San Diego State University Policy Research Center for Tobacco and the Environment identified San Diego as the largest city in the county without a comprehensive smoke-free outdoor dining policy.Supporters say the measure is about protecting diners and others from exposure to secondhand and thirdhand smoke.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says about 2.5 million people who did not smoke have died since 1964 from problems related to secondhand smoke exposure.The proposal would not apply everywhere around restaurants and nightlife businesses.Outdoor areas next to a bar or nightclub that requires patrons to be at...