Allowing communities to prohibit smoking in playgrounds and other areas that children frequent:
Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death, and there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. It is our goal to give communities the right to prohibit smoking in their own parks and playgrounds.
- Communities should have the right to prohibit smoking in their parks and playgrounds.
- It is common sense to protect children where they play and socialize.
- Parks should be family-friendly places where the emphasis is on healthy activities.
- Cigarette butts are the most common form of litter, and cleanup costs our taxpayers money. Smoking in parks leads to litter and damage to the environment.
- Local governments are closest to the people they serve. Until the state is willing to prohibit smoking where children play, local governments should have the right to make that decision.
- Many playgrounds, such as those at schools and day care centers, are already smoke-free.