San Bernardino Council: Don't light up in city parks
By Andrew Edwards
Staff Writer
SAN BERNARDINO -- Smokers just can't catch a break.
San Bernardino became the latest California city to restrict tobacco use Monday when the City Council voted unanimously to ban smoking in city parks. The law is scheduled to go into effect in 30 days.
Lighting up can earn smokers a $100 fine after the first offense. Those who get caught smoking again in the same year can expect to see the penalty to escalate to $200, then $500.
A fourth offense in one year makes smoking a misdemeanor, which means the unlawful use of a cigarette, cigar or pipe can be punishable by one year in jail or a $1,000 fine.
The council passed the law on its consent calendar, which is generally reserved for routine items. Jay Lindberg, a member of the public whose voice is often heard during council meetings, maintained the council was enacting an arbitrary prohibition.
"You don't need this law. It's just one more law to tie up some police work," Lindberg said.
Councilman Dennis Baxter, who pushed for the new ban, was not present Tuesday to vote for the item but advocated its passage during the previous council meeting. His request for council action included a petition with 87 signatures supporting the ban.
A UC Riverside-based group called Young Empowered Advocates for Health collected the signatures and more than 3,500 cigarette butts in advance of the council's action.
Councilwoman Wendy McCammack said the new ban is needed to protect children from secondhand smoke.
"The smoking needs to be done outside the park," she said.
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Oh Boy.............The cigarette patrol will be busy now! Maybe they could be called the "BUTT PATROL".
Might just cut down on the butts laying around on the ground, and maybe even the cigs too!
Smokers Unite! This is the last straw... no maybe straw would be good to smoke by definition. At least until they out law fire in the park to lite off what ever burns.
Maybe that is what the new grant is for " Weed and Seed", to cover their "Butts", I mean overtime, for the "BUTT PATROLS".
HHMMMMMMMMMMMMM?
Oh boy, ANOTHER feel good ordnance that is and will be unenforceable unless on selective basis. This will quickly become a harassment ordnance when the police just want to harass someone or they have nothing better to do. After all, our newly re-elected Mayor has solved the big crime problems in SB so now he will focus on the less important crimes, like smoking OUTSIDE in the park. It is hard to believe our elected have taken this approach. Perhaps they are just looking for ways for the City try and make money with this. What is next we will be allowed to exhale only in designated areas within our crime free City?
Yes, this ordinance will join the loud music ordinance - on the shelf gathering dust. SBPD does not have time to police quality of life issues, according to them. I've been subjected to party after party in my neighborhood and PD has been invited out to stop the loud music. They come every couple of hours but don't confiscate the noise generating equipment. Another waste of time and effort.
I am a non-smoker. I feel it is a disgusting habit that benefits no one. I also feel those that are old enough to smoke are old enough to read the health warning on all tobacco products. I also believe in freedom of choice and it is there choice to or not to smoke. Limiting or restricting where smoking can occur like the City parks is totally out of line. There must be something really wrong with this sitting Council when all they have to do is worry about smoking in the park. Am I supposed to call the police when I see a smoker and expect the police to respond Code 3? How else are they going to catch these lawless individuals?
This “law” will be sitting right next to the littering law (when was the last time ANYONE was charged for littering?) or the driving and using the cell phone law, or seatbelt law. This is nothing more than feel good litigation and indicates the Council is blind to the real problems in SB that they should be handling. Ladies and Gentlemen of this Council, when ALL other issues within SB have been satisfactorily resolved and SB has been returned to the model city it once was, then and only then, you can busy yourselves with passing ordinances to restrict smoking in the parks. Until then, there is much to do and your focus needs to be elsewhere taking care of the people’s business of running and ensuring SB is managed correctly and safely for all. Please do the job the voters sent you to do.