Ban On Smoking While Walking Posed By Queens Lawmaker: Reports

QUEENS, NY -- New Yorkers who don't stop to puff their cigarettes could soon be forced to cough up cash under one Queens lawmaker's new bill.

City Councilman Peter Koo (D-Flushing) is introducing new legislation to City Council that would ban smoking while walking along city sidewalks in an attempt to curb the nuisance of secondhand smoke being inhaled by pedestrians, reports said.

Koo told the New York Daily News he's often seen pedestrians and their children subject to the trail of black fumes left behind by careless smokers who light up during their city commutes. He himself is often left "suffering for 5 or 10 minutes" after walking behind someone while they light up, Koo told the news outlet.

“In a perfect world, every smoker would have the self-awareness to realize smoking while walking subjects everyone behind you to the fumes," he told the Daily News.

The bill would still allow smokers to light up while standing in one spot on the sidewalks, but those caught blowing smoke while walking would face a $50 fine.

It's the same punishment being handed down to those caught smoking in most other public places - like parks and beaches - in the city where it's already banned.

Koo did not immediately return Patch's requests for comment on the proposed ban.

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