Mayor’s Youth Council Member Sid Gupta leads effort to protect public health
Staff Writer | Mayor of Scottsdale
Scottsdale City Council has unanimously adopted a major update to the city’s smoking ordinance, expanding protections against secondhand smoke and vapor in public spaces.
The revised ordinance, adopted Sept. 30, now includes electronic smoking devices such as e-cigarettes and vape pens.
The update, formalized through Ordinance No. 4689, repeals and replaces outdated provisions in Section 19-16 of the Scottsdale Revised Code. It aligns local law with Arizona’s Smoke Free Arizona Act while going further to address the growing public health concerns around vaping.
This change was driven in part by the advocacy of Siddhanth (Sid) Gupta, a junior at Desert Mountain High School and a member of the Scottsdale Mayor’s Youth Council. Sid led a petition in May 2025 urging the city to modernize its ordinance in response to the rise of teen vaping.
“I realized that Scottsdale’s ordinance hadn’t kept up with the vaping epidemic that’s affecting my generation,” Sid said in a prepared statement. “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.”
Scottsdale Mayor Lisa Borowsky praised Sid’s initiative and the broader community engagement that informed the ordinance.
“Sid’s leadership exemplifies the power of youth voices in shaping public policy,” said Mayor Borowsky. “This ordinance reflects Scottsdale’s commitment to protecting public health and ensuring our laws evolve with the times.”
To guide the update, the city gathered public input through its Speak Up Scottsdale platform. More than 200 residents participated, with overwhelming support for the changes:
- 92.82% supported expanding the ordinance to city-owned outdoor facilities.
- 92.79% supported including electronic smoking devices in the definition of smoking.
The revised ordinance prohibits smoking — including vaping — 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 and up to $2,500 for other civil violations.
“This ordinance ensures Scottsdale is keeping pace with both state law and community expectations,” said Interim City Attorney Luis Santaella in a city news release. “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.”
