Canton, OH Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)

Chapter 1727, Clean Indoor Air, defines smoking broadly under § 1727.01(b) to include inhaling, exhaling, burning or carrying a lighted cigar, cigarette or pipe, and it expressly reaches electronic smoking devices that deliver aerosolized or vaporized nicotine or other substances, meaning e-cigarettes and vaping are covered the same as traditional tobacco. An enclosed area is defined as one surrounded on at least three sides by a wall or barrier at least five feet high. Under § 1727.02(a), smoking is prohibited in all areas within any City building or enclosed facility under the control of the City of Canton, and in any vehicle the City owns or operates.

Section 1727.02(b) extends the ban outdoors: smoking is prohibited within thirty feet of any public entrance to a City building or facility. Subsection (c) gives the Director of Public Service discretion to prohibit smoking in other outside areas near City property, to keep second-hand smoke or vapor from entering a City-owned building or reaching the public as they enter or exit. Subsection (d) authorizes the Director to post signs announcing the rule. The ordinance, adopted by Ordinance 70-2023, is limited to City-controlled buildings, facilities and vehicles and the thirty-foot perimeter around their public entrances; it does not by its own text reach privately owned bars, restaurant patios or Canton's public parks generally.