BOSTON — The Boston Parks and Recreation Commission okayed a prohibition on smoking in city parks, the Daily Chronic reports. The ban, effective immediately, encompasses any tobacco, marijuana or other “lighted or vaporized” substances.

Violators could be penalized up to $250 per citation. The regulation applies to the city’s more than 250 cemeteries, parks and squares administered by the Parks and Recreation Department. Included in the ban are some of the city’s most popular outdoor destinations, such as Boston Common, Franklin Park and the Public Garden. 

The Boston City Council passed the ban last month, with it going to the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission for final approval. The Parks and Recreation Department will commence a public service campaign to let people know about the new law.

Boston joins other big U.S. cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco that have similar outdoor smoking bans. New York City recently expanded its outdoor smoking ban to include electronic cigarettes.