Smoking Banned On Hennepin County Property

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Smoking will be banned on Hennepin County property starting this summer - even if you're parked in your own car.

The Hennepin County Board approved the new tobacco-free policy on a 6-1 vote Tuesday. The ban applies to all county-owned property and leased property where the county is the only tenant.

Commissioner Jeff Johnson was the lone dissenter. A nonsmoker, Johnson tried unsuccessfully to amend the policy to allow smoking in one's own vehicle while parked on county property.

Johnson says the county's current policy is strong enough and should be better enforced.

The new policy takes effect July 1. The only exceptions are county-owned roads and right-of-ways, and an area at Hennepin County Medical Center reserved for psychiatric patients.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)