Smoke-free parks on Tacoma’s agenda

There are already signs up in some Tacoma parks asking people not to smoke.

But they’re in only a few locations, including the Point Defiance Zoo. And they’re voluntary requests, lacking the force of law.

Now officials from Metro Parks and the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department are asking Tacoma city officials for an outright ban on smoking in all Metro Parks and city parks.

Nancy Davis, Metro Parks’ governmental relations officer, and George Hermosillo, prevention specialist for the Health Department, met Thursday with the city’s Public Safety, Human Services and Education Committee to make their pitch.

In order to outlaw smoking in parks, the City Council will need to approve a change in Tacoma’s Municipal Code.

Puyallup and Gig Harbor ban smoking in parks.

Banning smoking would reduce second-hand smoke and cut down on litter from cigarette butts, officials said. Also, it would reduce children’s exposure to smoking, making it less likely they would start, according to a document handed out to council members.

A ban on smoking would also continue the Health Department’s effort to create smoke-free environments and set “new norms in the community,” Hermosillo said.

The local Health Department’s 2003 ban on smoking in restaurants was thrown out by the state Supreme Court after three months, but was largely responsible for a statewide ban in 2006.

Council members reacted with a mix of enthusiasm and concern to the proposal. Councilman Rick Talbert, a Health Board member, strongly supports the idea.

“We need to do this,” Talbert said.

Councilwoman Marilyn Strickland also said she would support the measure, but noted that she “grappled” with the idea because she generally favors protection of individual rights.

Councilman Mike Lonergan was clearly bothered by the idea. He questioned officials about the potential for “selective enforcement” by police, a possibility that he compared to “broken taillight” traffic stops police can use when they want to stop someone.

Police Chief Don Ramsdell told Lonergan that police wouldn’t use the law as a “pretext” to confront a park user, but he added that traffic violations such as nonfunctioning taillights and headlights and speeding that give officers a reason to stop a driver “often lead to bigger things.”

Lonergan also questioned some of the reasons parks officials cite for the proposal, including a statistic that shows a majority of state and Pierce County residents do not smoke.

Is it “majority rule or tyranny of the majority?” Lonergan asked. “We’re saying 20 percent of our population is no longer welcome in our parks.”

Councilwoman Connie Ladenburg disagreed, telling Lonergan the law would ban the behavior and not the individuals.

“That’s true,” Lonergan replied.

Parks Commissioner Ryan Mello told The News Tribune on Friday that a smoking ban in the parks is a good idea, and one that’s aimed at improving people’s health and reducing litter – not keeping people out.

“Everyone is more than welcome at our public parks,” Mello said. “I don’t think people should have to put their health at risk to come to our parks.”

It’s now up to the city attorney to come up with a proposed ordinance changing the Municipal Code. A draft of a proposed ordinance is expected to come back to the council committee for further discussion before going to the full council later this spring.

Parks officials hope to have the ban in place by summer.

Jason Hagey: 253-597-8542

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