Anyone who does this on Vancouver Park Board property now risks a $250 fine. (CBC)

Smoking is now banned on all properties and in all facilities under the jurisdiction of the Vancouver Park Board.

A bylaw came into effect Wednesday prohibiting smoking at public parks, playgrounds, parking lots, beaches, and the three golf courses owned by the city.

The bylaw specifically prohibits smoking cigarettes, pipes, cigars and marijuana smoking devices called bongs.

The measure was passed unanimously by the board's seven commissioners in April.

It won't be easy to make people change their ways, said board chair Aaron Jasper.

"We realize this is going to be a challenge, especially for our friends and relatives that are smokers," said Jasper. "But we are also hopeful that this might be an extra incentive for them to quit the habit and realize they are putting their friends and neighbours in harm's way."

Park rangers, city bylaw officers and health inspectors all have authority to hand out $250 tickets for violations of the new bylaw, said Jasper.

The B.C. Civil Liberties Association has gone on record as opposing the ban, regarding it as an infringement of personal liberties and saying it will be difficult to enforce.

Vancouver joins American cities like Chicago and Los Angeles and several smaller municipalities in B.C. that have banned smoking at their parks and beaches.

With files from the CBC's Ben Hadaway