Tobacco Facts.

In an effort to reduce second-hand smoke exposure to children and reduce litter, smoking is being restricted in many Vernon Hills park areas.

The Vernon Hills Park District Board voted unanimously in late June to ban smoking in many park areas including at playgrounds, athletic fields, and the skate park. Smoking is also prohibited within 25 feet of those facilities.

The ban does not extend to more open areas of the park system, such as on walking trails.

Vernon Hills Park Board President Jim Ballowe said the new smoking restrictions in parks were enacted after students from the Reality Illinois tobacco prevention group approached the board with their concerns about the negative impacts of second-hand smoke in the parks, particularly for young children.

“It’s a very good start and everybody on the board was very supportive,” said Ballowe.

“We already have no smoking in indoor places so I don’t think it’s a real reach,” he added.

Ballowe said the board decided to try the ban on a partial basis in park areas heavily used by the public to see how it works and will revisit the issue at a later date regarding the possibility of banning smoking in all the parks.

However, at this point, Ballowe feels the new ordinance was a good compromise. He said the board did not feel it was necessary at this point to extend the ban to more isolated areas of the parks such as trails because people in those areas are not typically in close contact with the general public.

Repeat violators of the ordinance could face a fine of up to $100, but he thinks in most cases violators would just receive a warning that smoking isn’t allowed in certain areas.

Barbara de Nekker, community health specialist for the Lake County Health Department’s Tobacco Free Lake County program, said she thinks the park district’s new smoking ordinance for parks is a good start. “It’s a fantastic step, I think, especially for youth,” she said.

Several Lake County communities already restrict smoking in their parks, including Deerfield, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Lindenhurst, Hawthorn Woods and Highland Park. The Buffalo Grove Park District and Zion Park District also have smoke-free ordinances for their parks.
© Copyright: Pioneerlocal

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