Port Coquitlam increases fines for smoking in parks

It could cost you more if you’re caught smoking in Port Coquitlam’s parks and trails through the summer months.

City council voted Wednesday to double the Smoking Control Bylaw fine from $250 to $500 from June 1 to Sept. 30.

The fine applies to anyone caught open-air burning, smoking, or littering cigarette butts in the city’s greenspaces. Smoking, as defined by the bylaw, “covers all cigarettes, cigars, pipes, e-cigarettes and other equipment used to smoke or burn tobacco, cannabis and other plant material.”

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As part of the rules, smokers are required to “safely put out and dispose of” cigarettes and other aforementioned items, or stop vaping, when entering a park.

“With our community experiencing increased temperatures throughout the summer seasons which are contributing to drier conditions, the City of Port Coquitlam has taken the steps to help reduce and limit the risk of fires in the community to help keep Port Coquitlam parks and trails safe during the summer season,” the city explained in a release Thursday.

The city adds staff will be out in full force this summer to make sure people are respecting the bylaw. In addition to issuing warnings and fines, staff will also be out “educating park and trail users about fire prevention.”