Need a cigarette break during a trip to Edgewood or East Shore Park? You might have to leave the premises to get your nicotine fix.
That’s because the Board of Alders is considering whether to prohibit the use of any form of tobacco in parks, on public school grounds or on any other designated city-owned property.
The way things stand now, you can light up on school grounds, said Downtown Alder Abby Roth. “Right now there are some very obvious spots” where smoking could be prohibited, she said. “We’re acting on our municipal authority to promote public health.”
Roth, along with Fair Haven Alder Santiago Berrios Bones and Westville Alder Adam Marchand, submitted a proposed ordinance amendment at the board’s Monday night regular meeting that will face public hearings and further revision before it’s voted up or down. The amendment grows out of the Harp Administration’s push to make New Haven tobacco free, Roth said.
Martha Okafor, city community services administrator, said after analyzing city data, officials discovered that the three leading causes of premature death in New Haven are tobacco related. Last November, Mayor Toni Harp announced efforts to reduce those deaths by helping smokers kick the habit through access to cessation assistance, educational resources about the impact of secondhand smoke, education for youth, and the designation of more smoke-free spaces in the city.
Mayoral alder liaison Joey Rodriguez said the amendment “get[s] the ball rolling.” He said upcoming public hearings will “flesh out all the details.” Roth said part of those discussions will include how to enforce such prohibitions.
Okafor said the mayor recognizes people’s right to smoke, but that recognition is balanced against the need to protect the public from exposure to second hand smoke and its associated health risks.