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Thursday, February 3, 2011

City Passes Parks and Beaches Cig Ban

Soon, you'll have to think twice before you light up on your local park bench. The City Council voted in favor of a resolution yesterday that will ban smoking in public parks, city beaches and boardwalks.

The bill is an extension of the city’s Smoke Free Air Act, which banned cigarettes in bars and restaurants back in 2002. Smokers who take up their habit in public parks, beaches or outdoor plazas could be slapped with a $50 fine from the Parks Department, according to the new law, which goes into affect in 90 days.

Supporters of the law are optimistic about how effective the ban will be.

"The expectation of the bill’s sponsor and others who voted for the bill is that it will be self-enforcing, as the Smoke-free Workplace Law of 2002 has been," said David Lehman, manager at Bronx Smoke-free Partnership, in an e-mail.

"When it passed 8 years ago, there were predictions of fist fights, high non-compliance and more. The exact opposite has proven to be true. Compliance is at 98%, as smokers are largely law-abiding and non-smokers love breathing clean air."

Some background on the bill, which was heavily backed by Bronx Council Members, can be found here. What do you think, readers? Is it fair to tell smokers they can't light up at the park?

5 comments:

  1. I wish our politicians would at the same time increase the funding for Parks Enforcement Officers in the Bronx. We have more pressing problems in the Bronx parks than second hand smoking. Vandalism, illegal drug use are rampant in Bronx Parks but we have very few Parks Enforcement Officers. The new smoking ban will be a cruel joke in any Bronx Park.

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  2. Here, Here, Lothar! We need to funnel money to actually making sure that those who sell alcohol illegally in Williambridge Oval, or kill people over iPhones there are prosecuted. I'd rather have someone smoke a Newport next to me than litter with impugnity.

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  3. whoops! sorry, just posted this on the BronxTalk post by accident. But I was wondering how long the clearance takes? I posted something almost an hour ago in response to Lothar.

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  4. @Henri Bunde it is a shame to see what has happened to the Williamsbridge oval Park with the Litter, Drinking, Urination in the open for every one to view! I hope we can address this issue before summer is here.

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  5. Can I ask why this Adi's comment was approved by my comment below on the thread about commenting was not?

    ReplyDelete

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