Cigarette butts found at Hing Hay Park (Photo by Han Bui/NWAW)
The Seattle Board of Park Commissioners recently announced it would be hosting a public hearing regarding a proposed change to the Parks Code of Conduct which would prohibit smoking in all public parks in the city of Seattle. The special public hearing will take place on Thursday, April 16, to take comments on a proposed parks-wide smoking ban.
The proposed new rule would prohibit smoking in all public parks in the city. This ban would extend the original smoking prohibitions put in place in 2010, which banned “smoking, chewing, or other tobacco use…within 25 feet of other park patrons and in play areas, beaches, or playgrounds.”
Breaking the rule against smoking would result in a warning, followed by a possible park exclusion for repeated violations.
Mayor Ed Murray applauded the proposition. “Residents of and visitors to our beautiful city deserve to fully enjoy every amenity our parks have to offer, including fresh air and a clean, sustainable environment… This ban just makes sense for our community. It is the right thing to do for Seattle.”
The initiative was driven by the concern of second-hand smoke, which obviously would be experienced by park-goers, which would consist of youth in playgrounds. And not only that, cigarette butts create a huge amount of litter, which can be witnessed and is very obvious in Chinatown’s own Hing Hay Park.
So this brings up the rights of non-smokers vs. smokers. Whose rights are more valid/valuable?
It is an interesting argument.
But the Northwest Asian Weekly will support keeping it out of parks until there is a resolution.
Kudos to the Park Commissioners and Mayor Murray for supporting the initiative.
The Board of Park Commissioners public hearing will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the Kenneth R. Bounds Board Room at Seattle Parks and Recreation Headquarters, 100 Dexter Ave. N.
And also Seattle, what took so long? (end)