'No smoking' signs at ACL this year

AUSTIN (KXAN) - In just a few days roughly 70,000 music fans will take over the great lawn at Zilker Park.

“I can understand the sentiments behind it,” but Austin City Limits Music Festival veteran Jason Jenkins, who is a smoker, said he thinks the smoking ban is an overreaction, especially considering the fact that the ACL grounds have been watered the entire year leading up to this weekend.

“There is no way they are going to stop it. I can’t see how they’re going to enforce it,” Jenkins said.

The Austin Police Department said they have increased patrols in area parks looking for those violating the ban, but legally speaking, there’s not much they can do.

“From a police standpoint we hope that people come out and self-police themselves,” said Officer Brian Robinson.

Robinson said if they see people lighting up, they’ll ask them to put out the cigarette. He also said there will be park rangers in Zilker Park doing the same thing. If someone refuses to put it out, Robinson said they will escort them out the park.

Most people who were picking up their wristbands on Tuesday said they have no problems with the smoking ban -- however, they were all non-smokers.

Mary Stanley said if she sees someone puffing away, she’ll have no problem telling them to put it out.

“Absolutely, I don’t need a fire in my backyard,” Stanley said.

Ashley Goode, another non-smoker, said considering all the wildfires over the past couple of weeks, it’s just not worth it.

“It’s just to dangerous and we are supposed to be having some high winds coming in again and I just don’t think it's worth the risk,” Goode said.

The city has posted numerous signs in and around Zilker Park reminding people about the smoking ban.

The Barton Hill Neighborhood Association has also posted signs at the entrances to all the greenbelts surrounding Zilker Park as a reminder.

Those with three-day admission wristbands are allowed to leave park, light up and then re-enter.

ACL Music Festival starts this Friday and runs through Sunday.