Lower Paxton, PA Public Conduct: Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Banned
- Smoking, vaping, juuling and any other e-cigarette use
- Where
- All recreation, park and conservation lands, including the Friendship Center
- Amended
- 3-5-2019 by Ord. No. 19-02
- Section
- § 132-7(J), Lower Paxton Township Code
- Maximum penalty
- $1,000 fine or 90 days, each day a separate offense
Summary
In Lower Paxton Township, Pennsylvania, smoking, vaping, juuling and the use of any other form of e-cigarettes is prohibited on all recreation, park and conservation lands, including the Friendship Center. The Board of Supervisors added the prohibition to § 132-7(J) of the Township Code by Ord. No. 19-02 on March 5, 2019.
J. Smoking, vaping, juuling and the use of any other form of e-cigarettes is prohibited on any recreation, park and conservation lands, including, but not limited to the Friendship Center. [Amended 3-5-2019 by Ord. No. 19-02]
Full Breakdown
Section 132-7(J) of the Lower Paxton Township Code bans smoking, vaping, juuling and the use of any other form of e-cigarettes on any recreation, park and conservation lands. The phrase "including, but not limited to the Friendship Center" confirms the ban reaches Township buildings as well as open ground, and the words "any other form of e-cigarettes" close the gap for new devices. The Board of Supervisors amended the subsection on 3-5-2019 by Ord. No. 19-02.
The ban covers Township-owned park, recreation and conservancy sites, and it applies to everyone present, including a permit holder who has reserved a pavilion or ball field. Under § 132-4(C)(1), all posted rules and all of Chapter 132 apply to a permittee. The text of § 132-7(J) does not carve out a smoking area, a pavilion exception or a distance from play areas. It also does not reach private property or a business patio in Lower Paxton Township, because the provision is written for Township park lands.
Section 132-7(K)(5) separately makes it unlawful to violate any rule for the use of the park made or approved by the Department of Parks and Recreation. Parks are open daily from official sunrise to official sunset, with lighted courts and fields open until 10:00 p.m. Administration of the chapter belongs to the Township Manager and the agents he designates, primarily the Manager of Parks and Recreation. When conduct violates the article or is not in the best interests of the park, Township Police or the park manager has authority under § 132-8 to have it terminated, to expel the person from the area, or to file a complaint with a District Magisterial Judge.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 132 is enforced under § 132-9 as a summary offense before a District Justice. A conviction carries a fine of not more than $1,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 90 days, and each day or portion of a day that a violation continues is a separate offense. Police or the Manager of Parks and Recreation can also expel the person from the park under § 132-8.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I vape in a Lower Paxton Township park?
When did Lower Paxton Township add the park vaping ban?
Does the Lower Paxton Township ban cover patios or private property?
What is the fine for smoking in a Lower Paxton Township park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lower Paxton
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