Gloucester County freeholders look to ban smoking in public parks

Smokers make have to take their butts elsewhere if the Gloucester County freeholders do what they intend to — ban tobacco use in all county parks and recreational areas. A resolution, up for consideration at tonight’s regular meeting, would amend the parks and recreation rules to clear the cigarette smoke out of the county’s four public parks. “We’ve thought about it for a while now,” said Freeholder Director Robert M. Damminger. “When the latest report (from the American Cancer Society) came out, we really got the ball rolling on this.”

The recent study — which closely examined New Jersey — revealed that South Jersey residents are more likely to have cancer than those in northern New Jersey due to smoking more. The report also showed that the rates of cancer and deaths from cancer in the state are higher than the national average. “We think our families and their children should have a clean and safe environment,” Damminger said. “And if they want to smoke, they can leave the premises.” The public seems to agree. And disagree. “I don’t see why they would be against it. It’s open air. It’s not like sitting in a restaurant where people are getting second-hand smoke,” said Greenwich Township resident Cliff Boardman, who was at Red Bank Battlefield Park in National Park on Tuesday.

“They’re really pushing this now, huh?” National Park resident Kari Tomeo and her friend Victoria Rastelli, both of Deptford Township, were split on the matter. Both women were also watching over their children at the playground. “I think that sucks,” Tomeo said. “I think it’s an excellent idea,” Rastelli said. “It’s outside. If you’re on a bench 20 feet from someone else, it shouldn’t matter,” Tomeo said. “But people litter and don’t throw things away,” Rastelli argued. “There’s kids around here and they don’t need to be picking up cigarette butts.”

Both women were at the park watching over their own children as they disagreed. Steve Sprague, from Cross Keys, wasn’t a fan of the idea. “I think it’s probably a bad idea,” Sprague said. “It’s out in public, in open air. There’s too many restrictions already. Too much government control can’t be a good thing.” Gloucester County’s four public parks include James J. Atkinson Memorial Park in Washington Township, Scotland Run Park in Clayton, Red Bank Battlefield Park in National Park and Greenwich Lake Park in Greenwich Township. More than 650,000 people visit these parks each year. The enforcement of a smoking ban falls within the jurisdiction of local law enforcement, according to the county.

Washington Township and Clayton already have ordinances in place that prohibit smoking at public and recreational locations. Damminger said the county has already engaged in a dialogue with both National Park and Greenwich to adopt similar ordinances so that the ban could be enforced. “Smoking is unhealthy and it sends the wrong message to children. When you go to a park you see toddlers playing and people engaging in healthy activities, the last thing you want is second hand smoke and cigarette butts on the ground,” Freeholder Adam J. Taliaferro said. Taliaferro, liaison to the Department of Parks and Recreation, said that although the volume of constituent complaints about smoking have been low, he felt it was important to officially act and prohibit smoking in the county parks.