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Parks and Recreation Commission Votes Against Smoke Free Parks However, Commission Pursuing Ban at Specific Parks and Public Events |
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SAN JOSE, Calif.- With more than 30 community members in attendance, the typically subdued San Jose Parks and Recreation Commission meeting bustled with energy yesterday as local organizations and residents called for smoke free parks. After much debate, the Commission declined to support the San Jose Tobacco Free Collaborative’s proposed ban, but will take other steps regarding smoking in parks. “We are very disappointed that they decided not to recommend our complete ban on smoking in parks. It would be an important measure to protect the health of the community. Both their surveys and ours had shown overwhelming support for more smoke free environments,” said David Low, spokesperson for the American Lung Association, which as acts as lead agency of the Tobacco Free Collaborative. The smoke free parks proposal was designed by the Tobacco Free Collaborative to protect children from the dangers of secondhand smoke and foster a healthy community in San Jose. Secondhand smoke is a Group A carcinogen and has been proven to cause respiratory tract infections, inner ear infections and a number of other childhood health problems. Secondhand smoke may also be responsible for the onset of between 8,000 and 26,000 new cases of asthma in children every year. Despite the commission’s rejection of the ban, the Tobacco Free Collaborative remains encouraged that progress is being made. The Commission formally recognized the dangers of second hand smoke and will increase their efforts to educate the public about smoking rules in parks. They will also recommend ways to designate some family oriented public events in parks as smoke free as well as certain parks most often visited by children. “It is a step in the right direction that they are looking to make public events and certain individual parks smoke free. We will continue to work with the Commission with the hope that one day there will be a full smoking ban in local parks,” added David Low. The Tobacco Free Collaborative is a network of community agencies headed by the American Lung Association of Santa Clara- San Benito Counties. Together they show their dedication to reducing the impact of tobacco use, addiction and second hand smoke in their community. For more information, contact the Tobacco Free Collaborative at (408) 998-5866 or visit www.tobaccofreesj.org. ### Dave Low |
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Tobacco-Free Collaborative © 2005 All Rights Reserved |
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