BROWNSVILLE, Texas – The Brownsville City Commission has approved changes to the city’s smoking ordinance, adding electronic cigarettes to indoor restrictions while setting conditions for smoking on restaurant patios and inside cigar or hookah lounges.
The amendments update Chapter 54 of the city code. Electronic cigarettes and vaping devices are prohibited in indoor public facilities covered by the ordinance.
Restaurants, bars and private clubs may allow smoking in outdoor seating areas when the designated space is at least 20 feet from doors, windows and ventilation openings. The area also must meet air-barrier or purification requirements and display signs limiting access to people 21 and older.
Indoor cigar and hookah lounges must be fully enclosed from other uses. Cigar bars are required to maintain a walk-in humidor. Hookah establishments must include a preparation station and have at least one commercial hookah pipe for every three seats allowed under the room’s maximum occupancy.
The changes are intended to distinguish specialty tobacco businesses and qualifying outdoor areas from indoor public spaces where secondhand smoke or vapor could affect employees and customers.
Business owners remain responsible for meeting fire, building, ventilation and occupancy requirements in addition to the smoking ordinance. The rules do not override state restrictions on the sale or provision of tobacco and vaping products to people younger than 21.
Residents and business operators should consult the final ordinance or contact the city for guidance about how the provisions apply to a particular property.
