Smoke if you’ve got ’em, especially if you plan to visit city
parks any time soon. The city council Wednesday will consider
accepting a grant to fund the implementation and enforcement of a
tobacco-free parks policy, according to a city staff report.
Smoke if you’ve got ’em, especially if you plan to visit city parks any time soon.
The city council Wednesday will consider accepting a grant to fund the implementation and enforcement of a tobacco-free parks policy, according to a city staff report.
The grant from the Centers for Disease Control, offered through Santa Clara County, will pay for staff time expended in the implementation of such a policy or ordinance, police time enforcing the new rules and developing a program to “educate and mobilize youth” about the dangers of tobacco use.
The total amount of the grant is up to about $19,300, according to city staff.
The city hopes to implement the smoke-free parks policy, which would likely apply to all open space areas in Morgan Hill, by March 2012.
According to the city’s parks and recreation committee’s work plan for 2011-2012, the purpose of such a policy or ordinance is to reduce the harm caused by second-hand tobacco smoke, influence young residents’ behavior by reducing the use of tobacco products, and increasing awareness of tobacco’s health effects among the community.
Santa Clara County adopted a similar policy for its parks last year. That policy outlaws tobacco use in county parks, fairgrounds, rooms rented to guests at hotels and outdoor areas of hotels, outdoor shopping malls and retail stores that exclusively sell tobacco and paraphernalia.
The city council will consider accepting the CDC grant as part of its consent agenda at Wednesday’s meeting at City Hall, 17555 Peak Ave.
