BOULDER - A delay in the manufacturing of "No Smoking" signs has postponed the enforcement of a smoking ban on the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder that went into effect Jan. 18.

Enforcement will begin Monday, April 1, after the signs are installed on the outdoor mall during the last week of March. They were ordered in December.

The signs are custom enameled and take longer to fabricate, according to a city press statement. The enamel signs are more resistant to graffiti and other tampering.

The ordinance bans smoking between 11th and 15th streets on the mall, and on the lawn of the Boulder County Courthouse.

The maximum penalty for a first or second offense within two years is a fine of $500; a third and subsequent conviction within two years triggers the general penalty provision of a maximum $1,000 fine and/or maximum of 90 days in jail.

Boulder police officers who patrol on the Pearl Street Mall have been educating people about the smoking ban since it went into effect, and have not written any tickets while the signs were being manufactured, according to statement released by the city Thursday.

The city is collaborating with several partners, including Boulder County Public Health and Downtown Boulder Inc., to create an educational campaign for downtown employees and visitors about the smoking ban on the mall.

An event will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday, April 12, on the 1300 block of the mall, where Boulder County, city of Boulder and DBI staff will be available to answer questions about the smoking ban and about free resources available for individuals who wish to quit smoking.

For information about the Pearl Street Mall, please visit www.bouldercolorado.gov and search for "Pearl Street Mall" in the search box at the top right.

Boulder County Public Health website for smoking cession resources: bouldercounty.org/family/healthyhome/pages/smokefree.aspx.