SANTEE CITY COUNCIL TO VOTE WEDNESDAY ON SMOKE-FREE PARKS

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East County News Service
 
Photo: Creative Commons b S.A.
 
May 20, 2019 (Santee) – Santee is the last city in San Diego County to allow smoking in public parks.  In January 2018, the City Council voted to make trails in Santee smoke-free, but didn’t commit to ban smoking in parks or open spaces. But after a workshop on municipal code updates at which residents and public health advocates asked for better protection from secondhand smoke, Council members asked staff in May to include smoke-free parks in a municipal code update. 

The proposal will be heard by the City Council this Wednesday, May 22, at Santee City Hall (10601 North Magnolia Ave., Santee). 
 
According to Communities Against Substance Abuse (CASA):
 
  • 91% surveyed in Santee said smoke-free parks and recreation centers make healthier spaces for everyone
  • 91% surveyed in Santee find smoke/vape are unhealthy for children playing in parks
  • 77% of those surveyed in Santee support smoke-free parks in Santee
  • Children exposed to secondhand smoke/vape are more likely to suffer from colds, ear infections, bronchitis, and pneumonia
  • Approximately 41,000 nonsmoking adults die every year from secondhand smoke exposure in the United States
  • Secondhand smoke has been identified as a Toxic Air Contaminant by the California Air Resource Board. This puts secondhand smoke in the same category as diesel exhaust, arsenic, and benzene
  • Vape is not simply water vapor. E-cigarettes have at least 10 toxic chemicals known to cause cancer and reproductive harm and
  • Smoke-free open spaces help guard children and adults from second-hand tobacco exposure and harm.  There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.
 

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Comments

This is stupid

Submitted by on

First off- Second smoke- you have to be expose to it for yrs for it to be of any danger. If someone is smoking in a park, it's not gonna affect you unless, your very young or old and they are blowing it in your face. Most second hand smoke deaths are from ppl living in the same home for years. Putting secondhand smoke in the same category as diesel exhaust, arsenic, and benzene, is just as stupid and how uneducated the ppl make these laws are. This is just like putting pot in the same category as meth, heroin. @grandfather Wanna know why its difficult, because you ppl. First, you get smoking ban in restaurant, which I agree with, second it's banned in bars, that one is stupid, and now you all want to ban smokers from smoking in the outdoors, lets face it, you all want smoking to be illegal. Your right to breath clean air, lol. The air you breath is not clean, what about my right to smoke in the out doors. Now I admit some smokers are ahole that will sit next to you on a bench and blow smoke, where it goes in your face but the majority, will walk a little way away from ppl to smoke, and if your walking pass someone, you cup the cig in your hand, they may smell it but isn't going to affect them.

This is great news!

Submitted by on

But who will actually enforce these new laws? El Cajon has a No Smoking ordinance which covers a multitude of areas, yet one might not realize it because our no smoking laws are written to be "self enforced". Essentially smokers continue to light up wherever they want, and share their toxic smoke with others (children & adults), then toss the cigarette butts on the ground without a care towards the environment. And don't dare ask a smoker to follow the law and respect your right to breathe clean air. In my experience, most have gotten immediately confrontational as if they have a right to smoke wherever they want despite any law, or your objections. Is it really so difficult for thse people to be polite towards non smokers? Good luck Santee...

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