Smoke Break
Originally uploaded by JTContinental
Seattle Parks superintendent Tim Gallagher seems to have a new strategy for making decisions: Make a decision, wait for media backlash, change mind at end of day but leave possibility original decision might not go away completely adopt Parks Board recommendation.
In an e-mail, the department just said they are backtracking on the smoking ban in Seattle parks they announced only hours earlier.
SEATTLE PARKS SUPERINTENDENT RELAXES RULE ON SMOKING IN PARKS
Seattle Parks and Recreation Superintendent Tim Gallagher today decided to relax the rule that would have banned smoking in parks effective April 1, 2010, and to approve the recommendation of the Board of Park Commissioners.
The Board recommended this language in the Code of Conduct: “Smoking, chewing, or other tobacco use is banned within 25 feet of other park patrons and in play areas, beaches, or playgrounds.”
“Based on the input from the public that followed my initial decision,” Gallagher said, I have decided that a gradual approach to a smoking ban is reasonable.”
The code of conduct is adopted under the Superintendent’s rulemaking authority, as outlined in Chapter 3.02 of the Seattle Municipal Code. The code of conduct brings together in a single document all the behaviors that could cause the City to withdraw a person’s permission to be in a park. Some provisions exist in the Revised Code of Washington, some in the Seattle Municipal Code, some in existing rules, and some are new. To see the whole code of conduct, please see http://www.seattle.gov/parks/Publications/policy.htm, and note that the revised language on smoking will be posted tomorrow.
CHS hadn’t even gotten around to posting about the ban — which sounds like a good idea but isn’t — so we’ll scrap that lovely post in favor of this update. At least Parks has sped up the process on this stuff. The Perugia Park decision wasn’t reversed until the next day after it was announced.
A gradual smoke-free policy in the park is about as good as a gradual pee-free policy in the swimming pool. Secondhand smoke kills… even outside.
Diesel bus systems send more crap in the air in a week than all the smokers for a century – some of this is just plain silly – people are quitting, education rules, more laws are not needed.
By the way Discovery Park is giant, tons of woods, few people.
Can’t light up – don’t be silly.
I am a total non smoker, but, not freaked by non logical anti smoking near hysteria.
Sorry, most of the second hand smoke stuff out there is outright not true.
You comment that some second hand smoke in a park kills is just not true.
And your fear is irrational.
Swimming pools and indoor rooms have walls, so contaminants linger for a lot longer before they can be vented. Outside, pollutants disperse a lot more easily.
For example, we allow cars, which emit more than 25,000 times as many pollutants as a cigarette smoker, to operate outside — even in some Seattle parks.
We aren’t talking about a diesel bus in the park. We are talking about smoking in the park. Illogical is talking about a bus when we are talking about smoking.
We shouldn’t have to “enjoy” someone else’s addication.
This guy is an idiot.
What else would you expect in city government. We the people do it to ourselves. Look at the people we elect to run our city…
Hey Post …. most non logical of the non smokers.
We are talking air pollutions vs. air purity. You think it is about fashion?
And the diesel bus goes right by the park ….hmmmmm … the park you want to be rid of the casual smoker.
Your logic is smokey.
In 2006, under a mountain of scientific evidence, the Surgeon General concluded there there is no safe level of secondhand smoke exposure. It causes heart disease, lung cancer, upper respiratory infections, birth defects, and can be especially dangerous–even in small, brief doses–to children, pregnant women, and the elderly. In the past few years, several robust scientific studies have consistently shown that outdoor secondhand smoke exposure is no safer than indoor exposure. And, as far as cars and other pollutants, they still don’t measure up to the toxicity found in secondhand smoke: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070522114813.ht
The science may be hard to believe. But, it’s true, nonetheless. Personally, I’m grateful that I won’t get smacked with a cloud of carcinogenic smoke the next time I attend a rally at Volunteer Park or a music festival at Seattle Center.
The name of this park still smacks of injustice to a West Seattle shining star held in an Italian prison, Ms.Amanda Knox.
Enjoy local wines rather than Italian wines. The quality is comparable. Chateau Ste. Michelle is esp good. Enjoy a local steak or seafood rather than an Italian meal. Avoid Perugian chocolates.
Buy locally, Boycott Italy. No monuments to Perugian injustice.