NEW YORK €" A restrictive outdoor smoking ban took effect yesterday in New York City, barring smoking at beaches, boardwalks, parks and pedestrian plazas, CBS News reports. New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg pushed for the law that aims to reduce exposure to second-hand smoke.

New York City health officials hope to discourage smoking for the next generation of consumers, sending a message that it is unacceptable to smoke in family-friendly places.

While 35 states across the country have banned smoking from indoors, less than three percent of cities across the country have outdoor smoking bans.

Public policy professor Dan Feldman argued that the city€™s outdoor ban might be counterproductive. "I'm afraid it could hurt the credibility of more limited, more reasonable restrictions on smoking," he said.