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Roswell bans smoking in city parks
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Roswell – Following the lead of other metro communities, Roswell passed an ordinance banning smoking on city park property except in specially designated areas.
The city Recreation Commission, with aim of promoting healthier lifestyles, brought the ordinance forward for council approval.
Asked where those "designated smoking areas" might be, Recreation and Parks Director Joe Glover said "in the patrons' cars."
Not only that, the ordinance submitted by the Recreation Commission also stated that smokers must light up with the windows up. Councilwoman Becky Wynn asked if that wasn't going just a little too far.
Nicotine fiends all over Roswell held their breath, especially those who drive Scions and Smart Cars. No doubt sitting and thinking about what it would be like to try to smoke a cigarette in balmy 85-degree Roswell weather with the windows all rolled up had them reaching for Nicoret.
Calmer heads did prevail, and the "windows rolled up" clause was withdrawn from the first reading of the ordinance.
Mayor Jere Wood said he could go along with going to the car, but rolling up the windows was too much.
"What it would do is drive people out of the park to go smoke. And I am against forcing people out of the park," he said.
Wynn said it didn't make sense, because a convertible could have the windows up but the roof down.
Nor did having them sit with the air conditioner on appear attractive because the idling engine would produce more noxious fumes than the tobacco.
The motion passed unanimously with the window section thrown out the, um,
window.
Tags: Roswell
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