Students Plan to Ban Smoking in Public Areas

If a group of Orland High School students has its way, the city could ban smoking outside the doorways of businesses, in outdoor eating areas and in public parks. About a dozen teens sporting anti-tobacco T-shirts and armed with posters and jars of cigarette butts, lobbied the City Council on Monday to put a smoking ban in place. The council took no action, but will discuss the matter on Nov. 7. Dinesh Khalasi, of Students Working Against Tobacco, explained many communities have bans to protect residents and visitors from the dangers of inhaling secondhand smoke. He noted clean-ups by the group revealed a large concentration of cigarette butts by park picnic tables and the baseball field in Lely Park — places where families and young children are likely to be. The group reported 250 cigarette butts were picked up from the grass and picnic areas of the parks within 90 minutes. The teens gathered butts from Vinsonhaler, Library and Lely Aquatic parks among others in the area. Other students said a survey of Orland businesses indicated 90 percent supported such a ban in their doorways, and some already have no-smoking signs in place. Nearly 400 residents signed a petition endorsing the second-hand smoke ban in business doorways, the students reported. The group also is working with the American Lung Association on "Fresh Air Orland" to encourage city leaders to adopt the no-smoking policy. A lung association representative told council members 273 municipalities in California have restricted smoking policies beyond state law by having smoke-free parks. She said talks with Orland Recreation Director Joe Fenske were positive, and he said he had to move children's activities away from places where people smoked. Khalasi added the smoking ban does not stop people from smoking, but it does restrict where they can smoke in community areas. "I don't smoke," said Paschall, suggesting he might not be the best person to decide the issue. However, other council members said they had no problem discussing it again next month. "I met with these people," Councilman Bruce Roundy said. "I knew what they were up to. It is a matter we will take up and take seriously."