New York City Councilmember, Sandra Ung, recently proposed a new bill that would ban smoking on sidewalks that immediately adjoin parks. This would increase civil penalties for smoking in parks, which is already illegal in NYC.
Smokers would incur a first time violation fee of $50 if caught smoking on a sidewalk next to a park. Subsequent violations would elicit a $200 fine within a year after the first incident.
The Smoke Free Air Act (SFAA) was passed in 2002. This law prohibits smoking (of any substance including both cannabis & tobacco) in workplaces and public spaces, ie. parks. If the newly proposed bill were to be approved, it would expand the SFAA boundaries.