POLK COUNTY, Fla. — If you light up in some Polk County parks, you could soon be kicked out.
Commissioners in Polk County just passed a smoking and vaping ban in public parks in unincorporated parts of the county.
The initial focus will be on prohibiting smoking and vaping in “active parks,” such as playgrounds and sports complexes that host youth sports. It will not include “inactive” parks like reserves and parks with walking trails.
When Carley Rush takes her children to the playground for some fresh air, the last thing she wants to be around is cigarette smoke.
“I hate cigarette smoke. I think I'm allergic to it. It makes my eyes watery and I can't breathe when I'm around it, it’s just awful,” Rush said.
The ordinance will become effective once it's filed with the Secretary of State’s Office. Parks will soon have signs posted letting all visitors know about the no smoking/vaping policy. People caught smoking will be informed about the new rule and could be asked to leave the park if they refuse to stop smoking.
“I think that’s great. My kids aren’t around it. I don’t smoke, my husband doesn’t smoke. We don’t have any smokers in the house and for them to be around that, when they’re not used to it, makes it even worse. I don’t think that’s fair to them to suspect them to that,” said Rush.
This ordinance idea came from a group of local students with the youth-led advocacy group Polk Students Working Against Tobacco.
“Secondhand smoke is associated with thousands of deaths each year. There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke at all,” Troy Livingstone said.
The board unanimously adopted the ordinance after hearing from Livingstone, a high school junior and the president of the Polk County chapter of Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT).
“This is going to change social norms, so it seems as though smoking will not be an acceptable behavior,” Livingstone said.
