UPDATE: Smoking Ban Proposal for Most Charleston Parks Moving Forward
UPDATE 4/17/12 @ 1:45 p.m.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- A plan that will ban smoking at Haddad Riverfront Park in Charleston is moving forward.
The city's Parks and Recreation Committee voted Tuesday afternoon to approve a resolution that will ban smoking at the park along Kanawha Boulevard.
People will also not be allowed to light up on the sidewalk in front of Haddad.
Under the proposal, if a city or park employee would catch you smoking in those areas they would give you a warning to stop. If you refuse they could call police and have you arrested for trespassing.
Charleston City Council still has to approve this plan before it goes into place.
Council is expected to take up the proposal next month.
ORIGINAL STORY 4/3/12
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- It's tough to find any place that allows smoking indoors, and in Charleston that ban could soon be placed in some outdoor areas, as well.
Live music and festivals help to make Haddad Riverfront Park a summer hot spot.
“This is where most of the complaints are coming from,” Susie Salisbury, chair of the city’s Parks and Recreation, said.
Complaints of smoking sparked a push to ban it during events at Haddad, but now the Parks and Recreation Committee is looking into a 24/7 ban.
“Everything's on the table. We have a lot of different ways this could go,” Salisbury said.
Nothing is set in stone, but there's also a possibility the city will put a stop to smoking at nearly all city parks and outdoor areas at community centers. The proposal is getting mixed reviews.
“I'm not a smoker, but if it's an outdoor park I don't see a problem with it. As long as long as they're not blowing the smoke in my face, I don't see that there's any problem,” Connie Pitman said.
“It triggers their asthma and causes them to have to use their inhalers,” Mike Fleck said about his children.
Fleck’s children are allergic to smoke, and he is all for anything to help keep them away from it.
“It's a burden because they might be playing, and they don't want to leave,” Fleck said. “Then they throw a fit because we make them leave, and they just don't understand why they have to leave.”
“When you're outdoors, you're breathing in the fresh air. You don't want to have to breathe in second-hand smoke from a cigar or a cigarette,” Salisbury said.
Another idea being tossed around is to have designated areas in parks where smoking is allowed.
This will all be discussed April 10 at the next Parks and Recreation meeting.
The committee hopes to have an ordinance ready for City Council within the next few months.
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