Los Angeles County Prohibits
Smoking in Parks
September 16, 2009
Los Angeles Daily News

RULE: Supervisors cite risk to public from cigarette use in recreation areas.

The Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to prohibit smoking in county parks, with some exceptions. 

Citing secondhand smoke as the third leading cause of preventable death in the Unites States, the board followed the Department of Parks and Recreation's recommendation in voting 4-1 in favor of the ban

Smoking will be allowed in designated areas of recreations facilities run by outside contractors or lessees, such as golf courses and tennis courts.

Special exceptions will also be made for actors in productions under permit or for models in permitted photography sessions.

Several advocates, including representatives, from the American Lung and American Heart associations, apprered before the board in favor of the proposal.

According to the department's report to the board, 52,000 nonsmokers die of exposure to secondhand smoke in the U.S. each year.  The medical and other costs to U.S. nonsmokers suffering from lung cancer or heart disease total nearly $6 billion annually, according to the report.

Some contractors expressed concern that a complete smoking ban would hurt attendance and revenues.  The department was unable to quantify the economic impact of a total ban, but suggested designated smoking areas in the compromise move.

The city of Los Angeles already has a similar prohibition in place.

Supervisor Don Knabe cost the lone vote against the ban.