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Restricts Smoking In City Parks

Attention smokers: no longer will you be able to light up wherever you want in city parks.

Beware of future signs announcing designated smoking cigarettes areas.

On Monday, the City Council unanimously agreed to establish a city policy relegating smokers to certain areas in community parks. That includes special-use parks, such as soccer and neighborhood parks.

The new policy was prompted by Treasure Coast High School senior Marcus Rigg who asked the City Council in February to consider a no-smoking cigarettes policy as part of a school project.

Rigg complained of people smoking cigarettes near bleachers while spectators watched youth ball games and cited the dangers of second-hand smoke.

"I played baseball (at Sportsman's Park) for three years, and I would sit in the dugout and smoke cigarettes would be consuming me," Rigg told Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers in March. "When people are smoking cigarettes around young athletes who are trying to make something of themselves, you're crippling them. The smoke cigarettes is hurting them."

Enforcing the policy by creating an ordinance isn't necessary, City Attorney Roger Orr explained to council members. He said the policy could be set by City Manager Jerry Bentrott. He suggested violators could be asked to leave city parks if caught smoking cigarettes in prohibited areas.

Smoking is currently allowed anywhere in city parks with the exception of baseball fields and other sports fields.

Parks and Recreation Director Sherman Conrad said creating designated smoking cigarettes areas was a good compromise.

"We thought this was a fair way to handle the situation," Conrad said. "We thought this would be a way to accommodate both sides."

Parks and Recreation staff polled presidents of youth sports leagues over the phone and conducted an informal survey to gather public opinion regarding the issue of second-hand smoke cigarettes in public parks.

Staff said the public discourse was clear enough to warrant creating a policy prohibiting smoking cigarettes in defined areas of public parks.

In an April 26 memo to Assistant City Manager Greg Oravec, former Parks and Recreation Director Chuck Proulx said the policy would require a period of time for park visitors to become familiar with it."I do not believe that park staff will be able to enforce this policy alone; we will need the public's help," he wrote.Conrad said it would take the department some time, possibly several months, to determine designated smoking cigarettes areas and put up signs.

Other Florida cities that have a policy or ordinance governing smoking cigarettes at public parks include Tampa, Clearwater, Coral Springs, Lauderdale Lakes and Pembroke Pines. Vero Beach is considering restricting smoking cigarettes in city parks.

Parks officials said the new policy would help protect the health of citizens, particularly infants and children and would reduce litter caused by cigarettes-related products.

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