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NYC Seeks Smoking Ban for Parks, Beaches

Smokers grumble over plan to make outdoors virtually smoke-free

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 15, 2009 5:37 AM CDT

(Newser) – Smokers banished outdoors by New York City's 2003 smoking ban may soon find much of the outdoors off-limits for lighting up as well, the New York Times reports. The city's health commissioner said yesterday that he plans to push for a full smoking ban in all the city's parks and beaches, winning praise from health advocates and anti-smoking groups.

"There is no redeeming value in smoking at beaches or parks,” the chief of a smoking prevention group said. “Anyone who has sat behind someone smoking a stogie can tell you that. The health risks are real." Most smokers the Times spoke to, however, felt a ban in parks was going too far. "It’s my legal right to be able to smoke in the park," fumed one smoker in Union Square. "There’s garbage here, people urinating here, it seems there are other things they could work on to improve the park.”

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

A man smokes outside of a building in New York City. (Getty Images)

All 843 acres of Central Park would become a smoke-free zone under a proposal from the city's health commissioner. (©cubby_t_bear)

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We don't think it's too far to say that people shouldn't be smoking in parks. - New York City Health Commissioner
Tom Farley

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 22 comments

Snarfeh

Sep 15, 2009 8:39 PM CDT

@godawgs - stay five or more feet away from your own vehicle then. the exhaust from your vehicle is worse for you and more likely to kill you. it is also not right to force your cologne on others, yet people do it every day. i think it's time for the personal liberties police to back off. it's one thing to banish smoking indoors, but outdoors, walking through a whiff isn't going to do more harm to you than your own vehicle. it's whiny to demand that smokers not smoke outdoors.

Timinator2K

Sep 15, 2009 7:48 AM CDT

Man, and people think that New Yorkers are a rude nasty bunch already...wait 'til they REALLY get irritated by not being allowed to light up outside. How about designated smoking beaches or, areas of the park? COMPROMISE, all ready. I was just at a huge outdoor event and it seemed I couldn't get away from smokers anywhere there. Cloths still stank after that outdoors day.

Stasis

Sep 15, 2009 7:45 AM CDT

People use the ashtray in their car? I always thought that the ashtray was for change...

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Politics • Health • US

smoking • beach • Michael Bloomberg • smoking ban • parks • cigarette

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NYC Seeks Smoking Ban for Parks, Beaches