HELPING: Santa Monica

Santa Monica officials are expanding the law which bans smoking in certain areas in an effort to control second-hand smoke.

Residents living in apartment complexes and condominiums are unable to light up anywhere within 25 feet of a neighbor’s windows, doors or vents.

Many smoker’s patios, porches, decks and balconies are now off limits to cigarettes.

The law already forbids smoking in yards, upon walkways, within play areas and in other common areas of multi-unit housing complexes.

Thankfully, there’s now a price to pay for endangering the lives of others through someone’s personal decision to endanger their own with nicotine.

First offenses will cost $100 with succeeding violations resulting in fines of $200 and $500 respectively.

NOT HELPING: Westlake, L.A. Protestors

Guatemalan immigrant Manuel Jamines was shot and killed by Officer Frank Hernandez on Sunday, Sept. 5, for allegedly threatening L.A. Police Officers with a knife.

Once Hernandez’s involvement in similar cases of improper deadly force was discovered, protests in the city’s streets broke out.

Controversial and counterproductive, such hostility is doing more harm than good.

Protestor Daniel Cortez, who has been charged with four counts of assault after using sling shots towards officers, was one of many ignoring law enforcement orders.

Allegations against protestors include the launching of eggs, fruit, and televisions among other items at officers, police vehicles and the station’s windows.

Whether or not Jamines was indeed carrying a weapon at the time of his shooting; two wrongs do not make a right.

Westlake district protestors are not helping the situation, the community, the investigation, Jamines’ memory, or themselves.

Megan Magers contributed to this report