No more puffing near playgrounds -puffing within 25 feet of the swings and seesaws , $250 Fine (CA)

appeal-democrat.com/ ^

[chance33_98]

No more puffing near playgrounds

Max Whittaker/Appeal-Democrat

Rob Young Appeal-Democrat

Do you like taking a leisurely walk in the park while puffing on a cigarette, cigar or pipe?

Make sure you stay well away from any playgrounds. Under a new state law that took effect Jan. 1, puffing within 25 feet of the swings and seesaws can draw a fine up to $250. The law also prohibits smokers from intimidating anyone who complains about smoking within the buffer zone.

The change doesn't bother one smoker, Sonny Gerling of Redding, who was pushing his 4-year-old daughter Lillian in a swing Friday at Lloyd Park in Yuba City.

"I'm a smoker, and I think it's a good idea," Gerling said. "I don't smoke in a car or in the house when my daughter's with me, so why should I do it when I'm with her at the park?"

It was already illegal to smoke or discard smoking material on a playground. The new law tries to protect children's lungs even further by moving puffers out of the 25-foot buffer zone.

Gerling admitted he has occasionally smoked on playgrounds but said he makes sure he's away from children, sometimes retreating to a nearby sidewalk. The law does not include public sidewalks within the buffer zone.

Lillian's mother, Patricia A. Dahlke of Yuba City, also a smoker, was not as understanding about the buffer zone.

"They're more anal about smoking than they are drinking," Dahlke said about lawmakers. "As long as you're not leaving butts, it's not a problem."

Dahlke conceded, however, that smoking on the playground itself is not a good idea.

Nearby, a nonsmoker, June Graves of Yuba City, was sitting at a picnic table with her two children, Dillon, 6, and Abby, 7.

"It sounds good to me," Graves said about the new law. Keeping smokers 25 feet from children, even outdoors, is not unreasonable, she said.

"It protects my kids' health. And (smoking) looks nasty," Graves said.

"I could see 25 yards," she said. "A playground is for kids. They shouldn't have to smell cigarettes."

Elizabeth Neumayer, director of the Yuba City Parks and Recreation Department, said the city is "currently reviewing all options to assist with enforcement of the new law, including posting signs at all public parks."

The new law applies just to playgrounds, not to parks, she said.

The department "certainly advocates for healthy lifestyles," she said.

The new law shouldn't affect the Yuba City School Unified District, where a no smoking rule is already in effect on campuses with or without playgrounds, said Student Services Director Bob Kruse.

The same is true in the Marysville Joint Unified School District, which banned smoking on school grounds at least five years ago to discourage anyone from smoking outside of buildings, said district spokeswoman Jami Marros.

The law will serve as a reminder to parents not to smoke on school grounds, although failure to comply with the school rule has not been a problem, Marros said.

"There are times we do have to remind people, but it's never been a real issue," she said.

[Auntie Mame]

This quote's good:

"I'm a smoker, and I think it's a good idea," Gerling said. "I don't smoke in a car or in the house when my daughter's with me, so why should I do it when I'm with her at the park?"

In other words, "I'm glad about this new law. Otherwise I'd continue puffing in the park because I'm helpless to control my behavior without the State stepping in and telling me what to do."

[chance33_98]

Did anybody else get a little chill/shiver up the spine when they read the line about "prohibiting smokers from intimidating anyone who complains about smoking in buffer zones?"

Liberals for years whined about the 'oppressive' and 'control-freaks' who wanted to take away their rights - and yet it is they who doing it. Next time they start on with the fear campaigns about abortion (if you even mention the word in congress they are sure your going to ban it) I will simply remind them of their stances on smoking, guns, et. al.

[MeekOneGOP]

Let me Puff and Ping!

Do they puff in the playgrounds at school?...

[MeekOneGOP]

Do they puff in the playgrounds at school?...

Puff the Magic Dragon.....

[Max McGarrity]

Ah, yes, self-styled "secondhand smoke expert" James Repace. We call him "Mr. Tornado Head" because he claims it would take 300 mph winds to clear smoke from a room. (We had 80 mph gusts last month that took down a 50 foot tall, 28" diameter tree...but that pesky smoke is a real problem!) In this latest foray into the world of fantasy, he says wind can keep smoke "close to the ground" and therefore dangerous to children outdoors. The fact that this looney toon ever held a position at the EPA is enough proof that our government is doomed.

[Max McGarrity]

DD, Repace worked at EPA and was only borderline sane even then. He claimed the EPA (nonsmoking) building was making him sick and they permitted him to work at home. When he was required to show up for a meeting or whatever reason, he actually wore a gas mask. He also sued EPA. And lost. He's part of the Stan-the-Sham Glantz/Kawachi/Daynard bunch of crusaders. A real piece of work.

[Just another Joe]

When he was required to show up for a meeting or whatever reason, he actually wore a gas mask.

That's THIS guy?
I remember hearing about him and his wind. I thought he claimed 700 MPH.

[Max McGarrity]

LOL, Joe. He claims 300 mph consistently. At one council meeting where he appeared in person and at which some folks were less than convinced, he upped the anti and yelled "it would take tornado-force winds of 700 mph" to clear smoke from a room. Most people--ALL people with a brain--laughed out loud at that.

[Great Dane]

So much more important than keeping track of the missing 30,000 sex perverts.

The perverts probably don't smoke, therefore keeping tabs on them isn't important.

[DumpsterDiver]

Repace worked at EPA and was only borderline sane even then. He claimed the EPA (nonsmoking) building was making him sick and they permitted him to work at home. When he was required to show up for a meeting or whatever reason, he actually wore a gas mask. He also sued EPA. And lost.

What little I've read about him leads me to conclude that the man is a raving hypochondriac.