No Smoking at Qualcomm

The city of San Diego decided three years ago that fans should not smoke inside Qualcomm Stadium and now they really mean it.

San Diego’s city council approved a smoking ban in August 2006, prohibiting fans from smoking inside the stadium except for in designated smoking areas.

Now, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune, that ban is being enforced this year. Really.

In a fact-sheet for fans, the Chargers mention the ban. β€œPer City of San Diego ordinance, Qualcomm Stadium is a smoke-free facility. Smoking is not allowed inside the stadium.”

What's different this time around is that the designated smoking areas created for fans after the 2006 ban are no longer available.

The stadium manager told the UT that the decision to eliminate designated smoking areas was made with the team, the police department and the mayor's office. Fans can still smoke in the parking lot.

Qualcomm was the first football stadium in California to go smoke-free. Cigarettes were banned beginning October 2006. Chargers and Aztecs fans had to step outside the stadium to smoke. They were allowed to re-enter.

In September 2007, more than 50 people were ejected for smoking at the first Chargers home game. Thirteen of those were given misdemeanor citations by San Diego police officers.

What if you do light up despite the ban? You could be thrown out of the game and fined $136.
 

Contact Us