It's a thing of the past,
she said.
Sacramento's smoking ban in parks became law at the end of
July. Backers anticipate quick, largely voluntary compliance and hope such
smoking bans gain statewide momentum.
This week, Los Angeles became the nation's largest city to ban
smoking in city parks, when Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa signed a law at a
Griffith Park ceremony. It takes effect in 30 days.
Park smoking bans now cover California's largest urban areas,
putting the state in the forefront of a growing national trend, said Robert
Berger, a spokesman for the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Los Angeles County.
Can a statewide ban in urban parks be far behind?
Not too far, Sheedy said. "It's so prevalent now, and it's moving so
rapidly," she said.
The Los Angeles ban, added to Sacramento's, is significant in the
smoke-free movement, said Carolyn Martin, vice chairwoman of Sacramento
County's Tobacco Control Coalition.
"It sends a message throughout the state," she said.
San Francisco and San Diego also ban smoking in city parks.
A renowned critic of smoking restrictions agreed the tide will be
hard to turn, particularly since local bans also have been imposed at
many beaches, stadiums and other outdoor venues.
Jacob Sullum, senior editor of Reason magazine, argues that the aim of
smoking bans is not to protect anyone. "The main motivation for
public health and activists is to get smokers to quit. You're literally
thrown out onto the street if you want to smoke," he said.
Sullum, author of the book, "For Your Own Good: The Anti-Smoking
Crusade and the Tyranny of Public Health," writes for the Los Angeles
libertarian think- tank, the Reason Foundation.
"I think people generally see this as less reasonable because it's outside,"
he said of the park bans.
The idea of discouraging smokers where they will be seen -- maybe emulated
-- by children is another fallacy, Sullum said.
The Sacramento ban doesn't include golf courses, and some of the
city's larger parks will initially have restricted areas instead of
curb-to-curb bans.
In Sacramento and Los Angeles, signs, education and peer pressure rather
than police are expected to largely enforce the bans. Violations are
civil, not criminal, penalties.
"It is not the intent to send out the smoking police throughout the
park system," Berger said.
Civil fines could be as much as $250 in Los Angeles and $150 in Sacramento.
"The idea is to change the social norm around smoking," Berger said.
Studies back the need to restrict smoking even outdoors, Martin said.
In a Stanford University report released earlier this year, researchers
Wayne Ott and Neil Klepeis found that -- within a few feet of a smoker --
exposure to secondhand smoke could be the same outdoors as indoors.
Parks provide one of the few affordable entertainment options for families
with children, said Sheedy, who believes the ban will protect
children.
Signs are expected to go up in Sacramento's city parks the week of Aug. 19.
Sacramento County has no plans for an overall smoking ban at
its parks, said Gary Kukkola, interim director of the county's Department of
Regional Parks.
State law already bans smoking in playground areas, he said.
In the expansive stretches of regional parks, such as the American River
Parkway, perhaps there is enough room to avoid secondhand smoke, if there
are smokers, he said.
"In areas like the parkway," he said, "many are out there for biking, hiking
and consequently, smoking isn't always consistent with all those
activities."
The Bee's M.S. Enkoji can be reached at (916) 321-1106 or menkoji@sacbee.com.
Copyright 2007 The Sacramento Bee