http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/category/outdoors.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://newsok.com/edmond-parks-board-oks-smoking-ban-plan/article/3419108 http://tobacco.org/news/293103.html The Edmond Parks and Recreation Advisory Board unanimously approved a proposed ordinance banning smoking in the city's parks and playgrounds. The ordinance now goes to the city council. If approved, the ordinance would go into effect 30 days later. Board member Dennis Shockley said the ordinance was drafted by City Attorney Steve Murdock and patterned after a similar ordinance adopted in Norman this summer. The ordinance prohibits smoking within 50 feet of Edmond city park playgrounds, including Pelican Bay Aquatic Center, and the fenced areas at all Edmond athletic complexes. NewsOK jduncan@newsok.com (JOHN A. WILLIAMS ) Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://blogs.federaltimes.com/federal-times-blog/2009/11/20/a-smoke-free-outdoors/ http://tobacco.org/news/293101.html Rep. Eliot Engel is trying again to ban smoking near federal buildings. The New York Democrat unsuccessfully introduced a bill during the last Congress to ban smoking within 25 feet of any federal building’s entrances, exits, windows that can be opened and ventilation intakes. Engel reintroduced the bill Nov. 18 to correspond with the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smoke Out smoking-cessation campaign. The Surgeon General reported in 2006 that there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. One step we can take in limiting such exposure is to free the entrances of buildings of the clouds of smoke often found when smokers gather outside of entrances and exits. The problem with this is simple – how else are people going to avoid secondhand smoke when the only ways in and out of a building is blocked by smoke?" The bill would clarify various levels of guidance involving smoking near federal buildings. Federal Times Blog dlindsey@atpco.com Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.mcpost.com/article.php?id=2327 http://tobacco.org/news/293093.html When the statewide smoking ban took effect in 1999, Capitola's cigarette and cigar puffers were driven outdoors. But soon the outdoors -- or at least much of it -- may no longer be an option. A proposal put forth by Capitola Councilman Dennis Norton would ban smoking on the Esplanade, the wharf, at city parks, the library, City Hall and the Stockton Avenue Bridge. Beyond that, Norton also hinted at the possibility of a citywide ban in 2010 that would apply to all public outdoor spaces. Citing concerns about secondhand smoke and piles of cigarette butt litter, Norton says it's time to take action. Mid-County Post ads@mcpost.com (R.T. Sideman) Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.timminstimes.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2178203 http://tobacco.org/news/293071.html Timmins city council has passed an amendment to the local anti-smoking bylaw. It says that along with not being allowed to smoke in local bars or restaurants, smokers are no longer allowed to light up in such outdoor spaces as beaches, playgrounds, parks and recreation fields. The bylaw says smoker must be ten metres away from such public spaces. Timmins Times Canada Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all~content=a914966130 http://tobacco.org/news/293034.html Nonsmokers outside restaurants and bars in Athens, Georgia, have significantly elevated salivary cotinine levels indicative of secondhand smoke exposure. InformaWorld.com Sun, 01 Nov 2009 04:00:00 GMT http://wellness.blogs.time.com/2009/11/19/the-science-behind-moving-smoking-bans-outside/ http://tobacco.org/news/293004.html Reflecting on the existing scientific research on second hand smoke exposure outdoors, William Saletan of Slate.com sifts through the most relevant points from two major studies on the subject (the 2006 California Air Resources Board study, and a 2007 study from Stanford). Among the findings: outdoors, second hand smoke levels vary widely and quickly, depend on the individual's distance from a smoker (farther than 6.5 feet or 2 meters, generally reduces exposure to "background" levels), are influenced by how confined the outdoor space is (if there are walls or fences), and the concentration of smokers in a given area. The data, Saletan concludes, point to the need for a measured approach for crafting policy to reduce second hand smoke exposure outdoors. He writes: "If you want to argue for parkwide smoking bans based on asthma or on an analogy to noise pollution, go ahead and make that case. But let's not cloud that debate by invoking the general harm of secondhand smoke. Studies of secondhand smoke have indeed moved outdoors. Their findings support restrictions on lighting up within a few feet of other people. But they don't warrant more than that." A new study published in the November issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene may contribute to the debate. Researchers from the University of Georgia measured second hand smoke exposure among people sitting in the outdoor areas of bars and restaurants where indoor smoking was banned in the city of Athens, Georgia. . . . generally speaking, hanging out in an outdoor smoking area exposes you to less second hand smoke than being in an indoor, confined space with smokers, and the more space you have between yourself and smokers, the lower levels of exposure you will have. So, this particular study doesn't ring the death knell for outdoor smoking. But, the researchers point out, wielding the official trump card of the public health argument: Although the increment in cotinine concentrations and, thus, the [second hand smoke] exposure levels were relatively low at the sites of interest, the current view is that there is no level of personal exposure to [second hand smoke] that can be regarded as safe. This study demonstrates the ongoing exposure of nonsmokers to [second hand smoke] outside restaurants and bars, and the limitations of indoor smoking bans alone in protecting the public from exposure to [second hand smoke] outside these establishments. In other words, the movement to ban smoking in outdoor spaces is here to stay. Time Magazine Blogs Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.mydesert.com/article/20091119/OPINION02/911180422/1004/opinion/Lose+the+cigarettes++gain+more+customers http://tobacco.org/news/292992.html I find it offensive to enter or exit any building that stinks from smoke. Actually, I won't go into a shop or restaurant if I have to endure the odor. Several years ago Beverly Hills had to make the same decision. Business owners were worried that business would be lost to neighboring cities. There was no negative effect on businesses and it is a pleasure to dine smoke free, both inside and out. Palm Springs Desert Sun Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.northfulton.com/Articles-c-2009-11-19-180739.114126-sub_Parks_smoking_ban_passes_sort_of.html http://tobacco.org/news/292972.html The Roswell City Council wrestled once more Nov. 9 with the final reading of an ordinance to limit or ban tobacco use in public parks, but the final results are still a little smoky as the council members could not agree to an acceptable compromise. The latest incarnation of the ordinance returned with a recommendation from the Roswell Recreation Commission to ban all smoking. That solved the problem of where to allow some limited smoking by park patrons, which had been a sticking point when the council deferred the ordinance two weeks ago. But that solutions soon disappeared in a puff of smoke. Ex-nicotine fiend and Councilwoman Lori Henry noted smoking is legal after all, and if patrons wanted to smoke in the open air they should be allowed to within reason. Northfulton.com hatcher@northfulton.com (Hatcher Hurd) Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.theunion.com/article/20091118/NEWS/911179983/1053/rss03 http://tobacco.org/news/292961.html Nevada City council members will review wording for ordinances banning medical marijuana dispensaries and smoking in parks at a meeting today. Smoking in parks was banned for a six-month trial period after council approval in 2007. A new ordinance would make the ban permanent. Grass Valey Union Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118154619.htm http://tobacco.org/news/292942.html Indoor smoking bans have forced smokers at bars and restaurants onto outdoor patios, but a new University of Georgia study in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that these outdoor smoking areas might be creating a new health hazard. The study, thought to be the first to assess levels of a nicotine byproduct known as cotinine in nonsmokers exposed to second-hand smoke outdoors, found levels up to 162 percent greater than in the control group. The results appear in the November issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. "Indoor smoking bans have helped to create more of these outdoor environments where people are exposed to secondhand smoke," said study co-author Luke Naeher, associate professor in the UGA College of Public Health. "We know from our previous study that there are measurable airborne levels of secondhand smoke in these environments, and we know from this study that we can measure internal exposure. "Secondhand smoke contains several known carcinogens and the current thinking is that there is no safe level of exposure," he added. "So the levels that we are seeing are a potential public health issue." Athens-Clarke County, Ga., enacted an indoor smoking ban in 2005, providing Naeher and his colleagues and ideal environment for their study. ScienceDaily Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://7dvt.com/2009next-burlington-city-council-outdoor-smoking-ban http://tobacco.org/news/292933.html Sisco is reacting to news that the Burlington City Council is considering banning smoking in public parks, beaches and on the Church Street Marketplace. City Councilor Karen Paul (I-Ward 6) is backing the ordinance and hopes it will pass by spring. If approved, Burlington would join a growing list of U.S. cities that have expanded smoking prohibitions beyond the confines of bars and restaurants -- where it was banned to protect workers indoors from harmful secondhand smoke -- and into outdoor gathering places. Burlington already has a reputation as one of America's healthiest cities, and Paul sees a partial outdoor smoking ban as a way to build on that image. "What you do in your own home is for you to decide," says Paul, an ex-smoker who went cold turkey when she became pregnant 16 years ago. Seven Days Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2009/nov/18/anti-smokers-just-cant-quit/ http://tobacco.org/news/292930.html The Wenatchee City Council could have banned smoking in parks. Many cities have, and many are considering it. The city can do it, just because. It doesn’t even have to pick from the usual anti-smoking justifications, real or imagined, like protecting public health or protecting children or fighting litter. It’s enough that most people who use city parks find smoking objectionable and don’t want to watch people do it, or smell it, or get a small whiff of their personal residue. The implications of banning a normally legal personal habit simply because it produces an odor doesn’t matter. A city can ban a public nuisance, and a public nuisance is usually whatever the city says it is. The limits are broad, and smoking has so few defenders the political risk is slight. . . . So where does it stop? Not at your threshold. The next great frontier of anti-smoking law is the private residence. . . . We should be able to sleep without fretting that someone somewhere might be sitting on their couch smoking a cigarette, but we just can’t give it up. Onward, prohibitionists. Wenatchee World warner@wenworld.com (Tracy Warner Editorial Page Editor ) Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.timminstimes.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2182095 http://tobacco.org/news/292929.html Cadence Hayes is one of the crusaders who was involved in the push to convince city council to move forward with the idea of the outdoor smoking ban on certain city properties. She says it was a lot of hard work. "We knew it would take some work when we started. We actually thought that the first time we presented to city council, way back in February of this year, we thought it would be passed. It wasn't," the petite blonde student recalled. Timmins Times Canada Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.timminstimes.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2182088 http://tobacco.org/news/292928.html Acting on the advice of a group of teenagers, Timmins city council has agreed to ban smoking in outdoor spaces in Timmins that are within ten metres of beaches, playgrounds, parks and recreational fields, such as ball diamonds and soccer fields. Council approved third and final reading of a bylaw amendment Monday evening. The vote was solidly in favour of the anti-smoking sentiment with most councilors saying they're confident that the majority of citizens favour the ban and that even those who disagree with it, will obey the ban. The amendment to the bylaw was first suggested last winter by Whisper Out Loud, part of the Youth Action Alliance with the Porcupine Health Unit. Timmins Times Canada Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.mydesert.com/article/20091118/OPINION01/911170345/1026/news12 http://tobacco.org/news/292920.html For nonsmokers, few things are more offensive than to walk out of the office door and be greeted by a cloud of cigarette smoke. This became commonplace a few years ago when smoking was banished from most buildings. On Thursday, the Palm Desert City Council did something about this. It voted to amend its smoking ordinance to rule that smokers must be at least 20 feet away from building entrances. The Desert Sun applauds the decision. . . . Thursday is the 34th annual Great American Smokeout. Smokers should quit for a day and visit the Web site www.cancer.org/GreatAmericans for tips on how to quit for good and add years to their lives. Then they can join us in applauding Palm Desert's new limits on smoking. Palm Springs Desert Sun Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT