Allentown, PA Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)

Section 425-15 of Allentown's park code governs conduct in every public park and recreation area, and subsection E, added by Ordinance No. 16213 effective May 20, 2026, provides that no person shall "smoke nor vape any substance within 25 feet of playgrounds, recreational fields and courts (including but not limited to baseball, basketball, football, handball, soccer, softball, tennis, volleyball, etc.)." The buffer applies to any lit tobacco product, cigar or vape device and to any facility used for organized sport or children's play, not just fenced playgrounds, so a smoker standing near a softball diamond or a tennis court falls under the ban even away from a swing set. The same section also restricts alcohol, controlled substances, unpermitted solicitation and unlicensed gambling in parks, placing the smoking buffer alongside Allentown's other core park behavior rules rather than in a standalone health ordinance.

Enforcement runs through § 425-23: the Mayor designates supervisory City employees, including Police Department and Parks and Recreation Bureau staff, who may issue citations, start summary proceedings, and order any person violating Chapter 425, including the smoking buffer, to leave the park or recreation area immediately. Because the rule was only added in 2026, it is Allentown's newest park-conduct restriction, layered onto a chapter that already regulated fires, alcohol and vending inside city parks.