The Scottsdale City Council has updated city code to strengthen protections against secondhand smoke and vapor in public spaces.

On Sept. 30, the council unanimously adopted Ordinance No. 4689, repealing and replacing Section 19-16 of the Scottsdale Revised Code, which governs smoking in public places. The ordinance brings local law into alignment with Arizona’s Smoke Free Arizona Act while expanding restrictions to include electronic smoking devices such as e-cigarettes and vape pens.

The city’s smoking ordinance was last amended in 1992 to prohibit smoking at Scottsdale Stadium. Since then, Arizona voters approved the statewide Smoke Free Arizona Act in 2006, which largely preempted local regulations. Ordinance No. 4689 repeals those outdated provisions and establishes updated, enforceable rules consistent with state law.

The change also responds to a May 2025 petition led by Desert Mountain High School junior Siddhanth (Sid) Gupta, who spearheaded the effort to update Scottsdale’s smoking ordinance. Concerned about the rise of vaping among teens, Sid conducted research, gathered community input and presented his findings to the City Council.

“I realized that Scottsdale’s ordinance hadn’t kept up with the vaping epidemic that’s affecting my generation,” Sid said. “If you want to see change in the world, you have to go out and do it yourself, and I wanted to make sure my city was protecting people from secondhand vapor just like it does with smoke.”

“This ordinance ensures Scottsdale is keeping pace with both state law and community expectations,” said Interim City Attorney Luis Santaella. “By including electronic smoking devices in the city’s definition of smoking, we are closing gaps in the law and providing clear protections for residents and visitors.”

To guide the update, the city collected feedback through its Speak-Up Scottsdale platform. More than 200 residents participated, and responses showed overwhelming support for the proposed changes:

• 92.82% of respondents agreed the smoking ordinance should expand to apply to city-owned outdoor facilities.
• 92.79% supported adding electronic smoking devices to the city’s definition of smoking.

The revised ordinance prohibits smoking — including electronic devices — in public places and places of employment across Scottsdale, with limited exceptions. Prohibited areas include:

• Enclosed public spaces such as restaurants, bars, shopping centers and theaters.
• City-owned facilities, whether enclosed or not, including stadiums, playgrounds, bus stops, bleachers, ramadas and swimming pools.
• Within 50 feet of public schools.

Violations carry fines ranging from $100 to $300 for individuals who smoke where prohibited, and up to $2,500 for other civil violations.