About a month from now, smoking will no longer be allowed in city parks, "except in certain instances," according to the City of Fort Worth - those certain instances being outdoor areas of municipal golf courses and the Will Rogers Memorial Center. It's an expansion of the smoking ban that the Fort Worth City Council approved in December, which prohibits smoking in bars, bingo parlors and retail smoke shops within 300 feet of schools, universities and hospitals. According to city staff, Fort Worth is the only large Texas city that allowed smoking in parks. Despite the ban, the Park and Recreation Department director will still be able to create designated smoking areas within the parks. The ban takes effect Aug. 15.
