Franklin County Public Health and Westerville Parks and Recreation Department have partnered to make all city-owned parks and green spaces smoke-free. Franklin County Public Health and the City of Westerville want to eliminate secondhand smoke exposures and the negative smoking effects including litter and strong odors in the parks. This ordinance was passed by Westerville City Council in July 2018 and went into effect August 2, 2018. Sign installation will occur across the parks system (more than 40 parks) within the month.
“Having smoke-free parks and green spaces helps create healthy and clean places for people to enjoy,” says Franklin County Health Commissioner Joe Mazzola. “This ordinance is providing everyone, especially our youth, the opportunity to have a smoke-free environment to enjoy outdoor spaces.”
Westerville Parks and Recreation Department will install signs at the entrance of its city-owned parks and recreational trails to inform residents and visitors that the park and trails are smoke-free and prohibits use of electronic cigarettes.
“Smoking exposes others to unwanted secondhand smoke,” says Craig Treneff, Mayor of the City of Westerville. “The goal of this legislation is to protect the children and families playing at the park, enjoying a movie night or walking on our trails with the added benefit of reducing litter and strong odors.”
Westerville now joins other communities in Franklin County and around the state working closely with local public health agencies to enact comprehensive tobacco-free policies that reduce the public’s exposure to the harmful effects of secondhand smoke.
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