Smokers employed in the Salt Lake County Government Center have fewer places to light up because of a smoking policy that went into effect Monday in accordance with Utah's indoor clean air law.

Smoking is now limited to the west end of the cafeteria in the center's south building and the first-floor employee break room of the north building.Most affected by the new policy are center employees with private offices, who will no longer be permitted to smoke behind their closed office doors.

The center's public areas have been smoke-free in keeping with state law, but until now there had been no policy prohibiting smoking in private offices. However the issue was raised when it was discovered the center's ventilation system distributed smoke from private offices into neighboring areas.

Visitors to the center and employees will now see signs at each entrance informing them of the policy and asking that smoking materials be extinguished in provided ash trays.

The policy provides no punishment for violators, and enforcement will be by peer pressure.