On Sept. 26, the Allegheny County Council passed a ban on smoking in and near public… On Sept. 26, the Allegheny County Council passed a ban on smoking in and near public buildings. The details of exactly what will happen when the law goes into effect on Jan. 4 are still hazy.

The council made several amendments to the ordinance in the past few weeks and is now awaiting approval from County Chief Executive Dan Onorato on one last official change.

In the initial ordinance, people were not allowed to smoke “outdoors within fifteen feet of any enclosed area in which smoking is prohibited.”

Under the new amendment awaiting approval, smokers will be able to smoke anywhere outside except near medical buildings.

As for other prohibited smoking areas, the county-wide ordinance states, “no person shall smoke or possess a lit tobacco smoke producing instrument