The county should follow this lead and ban smoking, clearly a public health danger at any level, in the Parkway.
Capital, L.A. ban smoking in parks
By M.S. Enkoji - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PDT Friday, August 10, 2007
On a recent visit to a downtown city park, Sacramento City Councilwoman Sandy Sheedy caught a whiff of cigarette smoke.
It's a thing of the past, she said.
Sacramento's smoking ban in parks became law at the end of July. Backers anticipate quick, largely voluntary compliance and hope such smoking bans gain statewide momentum.
This week, Los Angeles became the nation's largest city to ban smoking in city parks, when Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa signed a law at a Griffith Park ceremony. It takes effect in 30 days.
Park smoking bans now cover California's largest urban areas, putting the state in the forefront of a growing national trend, said Robert Berger, a spokesman for the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Los Angeles County.
Can a statewide ban in urban parks be far behind?
Not too far, Sheedy said. "It's so prevalent now, and it's moving so rapidly," she said.
The Los Angeles ban, added to Sacramento's, is significant in the smoke-free movement, said Carolyn Martin, vice chairwoman of Sacramento County's Tobacco Control Coalition.
"It sends a message throughout the state," she said.
San Francisco and San Diego also ban smoking in city parks…
…Sacramento County has no plans for an overall smoking ban at its parks, said Gary Kukkola, interim director of the county's Department of Regional Parks.
State law already bans smoking in playground areas, he said. In the expansive stretches of regional parks, such as the American River Parkway, perhaps there is enough room to avoid secondhand smoke, if there are smokers, he said.
"In areas like the parkway," he said, "many are out there for biking, hiking and consequently, smoking isn't always consistent with all those activities."
