Plum Officials Consider Smoking Ban in Parks

A request from local anti-tobacco initiatives to make smoking off limits in borough parks areas drew a mixed response at Wednesday night’s Plum Council work session, leading to discussion of measures that may impact those who want to use tobacco products at such sites.

The request from the non-profit Tobacco-Free Allegheny County and the Young Lungs at Play program, which is associated with Penn State University, asked Plum officials to pass an ordinance prohibiting tobacco use at borough parks.

Borough officials had differing opinions over whether such an ordinance should be put into place, but the majority was in favor of the possibility of creating designated non-smoking areas in Plum parks.

Councilman Steven “Skip” Taylor compared such an ordinance to tobacco use bans on school property. He indicated his approval of such a move.

“If you want to smoke, you can get in your car,” he said, referring to school employees who are smokers that drive off on their lunch breaks for a smoke.

Councilman Charles McMeekin disagreed.

“I’m not a fan of smoking,” he said, “but to do a blanket (restriction), it’s kind of rough.”

Some officials suggested that areas like concession stands or restrooms could be made off limits to smoking and that the public could be notified of those restrictions with signs.

“It will make people more cognizant of other people,” McMeekin said.

Councilman Mike Dell added that he sees smokers becoming more respecting of others at locations such as local ball fields.

Mayor Richard Hrivnak, who said he lost his father to a smoking-related illness, was in favor of passing the ordinance.

“I’m just going on the record, saying ‘I’m anti-smoking, and I support this’,” he told council.

Council President Mike Doyle, who said he was a former smoker, was against such a measure.

Officials raised questions about how such a ban would be enforced at places like , the large Fontana Drive park that is home to Plum Area Soccer and the borough’s annual community days festival.

The item was first put on the agenda for next week’s regular meeting then removed in favor of first having council members do more research.

Councilman Leonard Szarmach offered to dig a little deeper by contacting the county and Tobacco Free Allegheny.

Tobacco Free Allegheny is a non-profit organization formed in 2002 to oversee and promote tobacco use prevention and cessation in Allegheny County, according to its website. 

More information on Pennsylvania’s Young Lungs at Play initiative is found in its website.