BANGOR, Maine — City staff is working to draft an ordinance that would ban smoking in certain city parks and facilities.
It has been a slow, careful process, according to Parks and Recreation Director Tracy Willette.
“Certainly this type of ordinance and policy is not something that we want to rush into,” Willette said Friday.
The Parks, Recreation and Harbor Committee has been weighing its options since a meeting in August, which was followed by a workshop and more committee meetings to hash out exactly how to roll out a potential ban and which parks might be included.
The committee eventually decided to propose a draft ordinance to the City Council’s Government Operations Committee on Oct. 1 that would prohibit tobacco use in all city parks and recreational facilities. The all-out ban proposal sparked discussion and debate, and the parks committee was sent back to the drawing board.
On Monday, the Parks and Recreation Committee met with the Government Operations Committee again, this time with a list of nearly 30 parks and facilities that would become tobacco-free, including Broadway Park, the city’s trail systems, Dakin Pool and more.
“[The parks committee’s] primary logic was that most of these areas include youth, either through athletic events or our own facilities,” Willette said.
Willette also presented a list of 11 facilities that would be excluded from the proposed tobacco ban, including Hannibal Hamlin Park, Pickering Square Park and West Market Square.
Councilors at Monday’s meeting were split in their feelings about the proposed ban.
Councilors Ben Sprague, Patricia Blanchette and Chairman Nelson Durgin voiced their support for the ban, citing their desire to promote public health and keep children away from secondhand smoke.
Councilors James Gallant and David Nealley expressed concerns about restricting the right of taxpayers to smoke on outdoor city property, even if they stand away from the general public while doing so.
“To me, it seems to be a paper ordinance more … than anything,” Gallant said. “I struggle with our ability to police this.”
Sprague argued that cities can’t put police on every street corner, but speed limits are still posted because municipalities want to “promote good behavior” and “the safety and wellness of all citizens.”
Nealley said he feels the government sometimes gets on the “slippery slope of playing health police.”
The Government Operations Committee voted to have Willette and other city staff members draft an ordinance for consideration by the committee, which then would suggest changes or forward it on to the full council for first reading.
A list of the parks and facilities that will be included or excluded from the potential tobacco ban may be viewed at http://www.bangormaine.gov/image_upload/SmokingParkbreakdown.pdf.
Smoking is not illegal. This is ridiculous. Do you think that a ban will stop smokers, who are addicted for the most part? Where would you like smokers to partake in this legal behavior which by the way is very profitable for the taxpayer? And ps, the parks belong to all of us, not just the non smokers or the young.
some where private. Drinking isn’t illegal either, but I can’t walk up and down main street drinking, or go to these parks and drink either. Sex, isn’t illegal, Can’t have sex out in a park.
Thank you, person of reason. Smoking is disgusting, smelly, and it kills you. I don’t want to gag on cigarette smoke, especially in a place where I go to breath fresh, outdoor air.
I do not want to breath you exaust from your car either but I have too.
Heck of lot cleaner than tobacco smoke. No nicotine and far less soot and particulates (at least from gasoline engines).
The amount of CO2, water, and nitrogen emitted by my newer, low-level emissions vehicle are nothing compared to the.coal tar, ammonia, formaldehyde, and 4000+ other chemicals found in cigarettes. Next argument, please….
Short of killing, 2nd hand smoke exacerbates asthma, COPD, etc.
My asthmatic reactions occur from dry air, old dust, new-mown grass and physical stress. You do-gooders better get right on correcting society because of my asthma triggers.
Yes, and for other asthmatics, it’s cigarette smoke.
What does not. It is not a perfect world . Every run a Chain saw , lawn mower or Snowmobile .I would bet the toxic fuems they give off are much worse than second hand smoke. In the open air i seriously doubt that is it as harmful. But let try in an enclosed space to test.
In Bangor you can drink on the streets in front of any bar..I can’t walk my wife in downtown Bangor in the summer evenings due to all the cat calls.. Lets Start right there and ban that.. Business owners would be out in droves.. Time for them to stand up for the smokers in the parks or expect to be next, bar owners..
Yeah, but can you walk anywhere you want while drinking? Can you target shoot in down town, target shooting isn’t illegal.
So, are you going to protest drinking at outdoor patios? I’d allow that but forbid smoking in parks.
The point is, it is not up to you. Tyranny of the majority is not right. Smoking is legal behavior. If you want it banned for health reasons, stop selling cigarettes in Maine. Make people go out of state to smoke.
No!! I said if you are to ban smoking in the parks then lets ban outdoor drinking in Bangors bars/pubs/eateries.. I hate the smell of booze, so lets be fair about it. OK. (-;
“…walk my wife…” On or off leash? Oh, couldn’t resist!
Good one,!!! Thanks!!
Sure ya can, done it a few times. =) The mosquitoes get to be a bother, tho.
Wait, wait , wait just a cotton-pickin’ minute here! Do you mean to tell me that it is illegal to have sex in a park? If that’s the case, I think we’re going to be needing 24/7 patrols here in the City. I once saw that going on in broad daylight on the ground between two parked cars beside a City park. It was back in the 80s but it could happen again, you never know!
I can not help laugh, but that was funny, i have witnessed it just recently in the summer, second street park. Quite disgusting from what i saw
I expect you to smoke in the privacy of your home!
I don’t smoke and the smoker that lives here goes outside out of deference to my wishes and health! By the way I don’t send him over to the neighbor’s property to do it so that I can claim I’m tobacco free!
No it’s not, and you are free to go ahead and suck your toxic smoke all you want. But I don’t have to. I don’t want to walk through a cloud of smoke. I can’t believe how offensive the smell is when someone who smokes walks by me. It sticks to clothing, hair, everything…and the smell congests the air withing a 5 ft radius. I can say all this, because I, myself, used to smoke. Luckily, I was able to quit. I would never have put my stupid, unhealthy habit on others.
Definitely not ridiculous. The parks also belong to the great majority of the public who for health and quality of life reasons want not be anywhere near smokers. Per the Councilors wanting to preserve smoking in parks as long as it was “notnear” the non-smoking public, how is that going to happen? Many smokers cna’t even maintain the 25′ distance from doorways including the Bangor Library and store fronts.
We need to live together Gopher. Bottom line is, we need to adjust to the people who aren’t the majority too, unless you want your life and behaviors dictated to you.
Why don’t they go after real criminals ? Like second hand smoke is worse than car exaust. If a kids was in a garage with a car running he would die but not a person smoking. I have an Idea lets ban everything.
They are not banning smoking, just where you can and can do it. You know like what they do all the time. Can’t have sex in a park, sex isn’t illegal. Can’t shoot a gun off in down town, shooting isn’t illegal.
Second hand smoke is far worse than car exhaust. As for your car running in a garage, thanks to catalytic mufflers, it takes a lot longer to kill yourself than before due to less carbon monoxide. Guess what, there’s carbon monoxide in cig smoke too (in addition ot a bunch of other baddies), just takes even longer to kill you (and others).
In an open-air park? Who are you, the Princess in the book Princess and the Pea?
Yes! If I want to walk to the other side of the park and I few smokers are sitting on a bench, I don’t want to have to walk by and smell your stink. Or I don’t want to be sitting on the bench and have smokers walk by me and blow their smoke in my direction. My not smoking doesn’t harm you. Your smoking harms me.
Okay, sure, when all else fails and elected folks wanna seem involved — attack the smokers, nobody gonna stick up for ’em. And then, waaaay in the background, is a door opening for cops to jack-up kids hanging around the park after dark. “Yep, HE was smoking so we need to run an ID and warrant check on all eight of you, line up there…” So is this as brainless and innocent as it seems on the surface or not? The concept hiding a bad motive behind a seemingly good one permeates mans affairs from top to bottom…
Wow, such a persecution complex. Who wants to stick up for smokers? Not me, not a majority of the public.
See, there ya go, Gopher — just switch right into git after those nasty smokers, eh? Don’t recall saying aye or nay about smoking, just about the whole concept of trying to slide another rule in there. May be tough to believe, pally, but you don’t speak for a majority of the public. LOL Smoke, don’t smoke, make no never mind to me as long as I don’t have sit next to a cigar smoker on a long trip in mid-winter.
But, in my opinion, you should stick up for people doing something that is not illegal. Some day it’ll be something you are persecuted for, mark my words.
I would think it was a litter issue more than a second hand smoke issue. It’s easier to ban ciggs altogether than to teach smokers to pick up after themselves.
It’s both.
So…EMMC bans all smoking on their “campus” so the smokers go up to the sidewalk area of State St. Who cleans up the mess for EMMC’s smokers? Designated smoking areas were the most civil way to do things, but OH NO, the do-gooders had to create problems where there were NONE.
How about the smokers stub out the butts and carry them back to the building to take care of? Is that too much work? People do it all the time with drinks.
Speaking as a member of the advisory committee, I can tell you that the proposal to ban tobacco (not just smoking) in some city parks is based on both health and litter concerns.
Parks are for recreational use. They exist to promote health through exercise and to provide a place for people to just relax. Tobacco use is a public health hazard, smoking even more so. If people cannot exercise in a healthy environment, where else can they go?
Additionally, the city’s trails are valuable. All it would take is one cigarette to destroy Rolland F. Perry City Forest in a dry summer.
Holy crap, you’re not kidding! Why do smokers think it’s ok to toss their butts wherever the hell they feel like it? Inconsideration #2.
Wise move.
I’m glad that our city is taking steps to combat smokers
I’d rather they spend time on city responsibilities instead of social work.
I’m tired of people drinking and driving golf carts at the cities gold course. Ban that
Only people wearing khaki’s should be allowed in the great city of Bangor. This dress code could be inforced by the thought police.. What a great city we would have if we all looked and acted alike..
Don’t give them any ideas. These image-makers want a great marketing image for Bangor while many of the streets have plywood over the windows of houses and commercial buildings go unoccupied. Smoking in a park is the least of our problems.
It has nothing to do with image. It’s health, but I really think you know that already.
So, let’s see, they are going to ban smoking in all these places. Are the police going to patrol them? They can’t even stop people from running red lights. I thought we got rid of the old city council. Evidently there are still some we need to vote out of there.
With all the troubles in today’s world, I think it is sad that people are so small and selfish as to get so upset about the smell of a cigarette out of doors. I don’t smoke and am sometimes annoyed by the smell of second-hand smoke, but I consider it a right for people to smoke and am willing to put up with it. I also cannot be convinced that a few wisps of cigarette smoke is going to hurt anyone. I’d rather be around a happy smoker than a non-smoking malcontent.
“I also cannot be convinced that a few wisps of cigarette smoke is going to hurt anyone.”
I have asthma that can be exacerbated by only a few breaths of secondhand smoke. Others have asthma that flares up the same way. All it takes is a few breaths, and you’ll spend the next few hours wheezing. Parks exist primarily for people to get away from such hazards.
The smell is disgusting and it is unhealthy to breath. A few ‘wisps’ of smoke throughout one lifetime is probably not harmful, but if every smoker was allowed to do it wherever they wanted, those few wisps would add up to a lot more.
Thank you …………no more nasty stinky cigs
I already have a mommy. This is foolishness.
Here we go again. The me-me-me mentality.