Jump to full article: Hackensack (NJ) Record/Herald News, 2009-09-18
Author: TRISH GRABER State House Bureau
Intro: Three years after New Jerseyans were banned from smoking indoors, a top state lawmaker wants to keep them from lighting up in many outdoor spots as well.
"It's moved beyond a nuisance to a health hazard," said Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex), who plans to introduce a bill when the Legislature returns, likely in November.
The push follows a similar proposal this week by New York City's health commissioner and comes amid a national debate over the cost of health care. In launching her proposal today, Buono cited studies showing that secondhand smoke can cause health problems, even if the smoker's outside.
For example, a child who is outdoors with a smoking parent can experience significant exposure, a Stanford University study found. It also showed that even short-term exposure to outdoor smoke for people at risk of, or who have, heart disease could be "life-threatening."
"Parks and beaches are places that people go with children in order to breathe the fresh air and to exercise," Buono said.
Smokers "don't have a right to impose these health risks on the nonsmoking public," she added.
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