Most Californians favor anti-smoking laws, poll says
It soon may be more than impolite to light up a cigarette in a Santa Monica public park.
Hoping to protect children from the harmful effects of second-hand cigarette smoke, the Santa Monica City Council is contemplating a plan to ban smoking in all of its 15 parks.
The City Council will consider drafting a law on Tuesday that would forbid smoking “curb to curb” in every existing public park, and any new parks that may be created in the future.
Santa Monica’s Recreation and Park’s Committee voted unanimously June 20, 2002, to recommend that the City Council ban smoking in parks. Since then, the city manager’s office and the city attorney’s office have been studying how to put the ban into place.
Committee member Neil Carrey said the issue is important and a ban is imperative.
“I don’t know how anyone could defend what the City Council and the city itself stands for and then not support this,” he said. “If you are going to have a sustainable city, it makes sense to help sustain the people living in it.”
The practice of banning smoking in public areas has become more common in recent years. Smoking has been banned in office buildings, commercial airplanes and, in California, at restaurants and bars.
The state has enacted legislation that took effect in January 2002 which forbids smoking on playgrounds. The law allows municipalities to extend smoke-free zones in the entire park or create them in certain areas.
Public officials worry about the effects second-hand cigarette smoke may have on children playing nearby. Recent studies suggest second-hand smoke contains more chemicals that are suspected carcinogens than previously believed.
The cities of Beverly Hills, Carson, Huntington Beach and El Monte already have taken advantage of the state’s law and completely banned smoking in their public parks, according to a city staff report.
The Los Angeles City Council enacted legislation banning smoking within 25 feet of where children play. Los Angeles’ ordinance even forbids smoking at dog runs, public swimming pools and golf courses.
Enforcement of the smoking ban in Santa Monica would be achieved by a combination of signs and community education, officials said. The same approach worked in Beverly Hills, where there has been a voluntary compliance with the law, according to a city staff report.
A statewide organization called the “Committee for Smoke-free Zones” has been working with Santa Monica, and 10 other municipalities in Southern California, on creating restrictive smoking laws to protect public health.
Robert Berger, a Smoke-free Committee member, has said polls show below 20 percent of Californians smoke, and 93 percent of the population agrees with more restrictive smoking prohibitions.
“Even the people that smoke tell us they would agree to more restrictions,” he said.
“Even the people that smoke tell us they would agree to more restrictions.” — — ROBERT BERGER Committee for Smoke-free Zones
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 10, 2003. Read the original PDF.