Smoking Banned in all Recreation Areas, Passaic Council

The City Council on Tuesday night introduced a sweeping ordinance to ban smoking in all municipal buildings, parks and recreation areas. The ordinance, which was introduced by a unanimous vote, would ban smoking inside and outside all municipal buildings, and would impose fines of up to $1,000 on serial violators. If the ordinance is adopted, the city will become the 11th municipality in Passaic County to prohibit smoking on public property. Bloomingdale, Clifton, Hawthorne, Little Falls, Paterson, Prospect Park, Ringwood, Wanaque, West Milford, and Woodland Park have already adopted similar smoking bans.
Haledon has introduced an ordinance that is scheduled for adoption on June 21. The campaign is being promoted statewide by a non-profit known as Global Advisors on Smokefree Policy. The organization’s executive director, Karen Blumenfeld, attended the meeting to urge the council to adopt the measure. She said the campaign to ban smoking in public parks makes sense because second-hand smoke is so dangerous. “We know there is no safe level of secondhand smoke at all,” she said. Smokers tend to obey such ordinances, she added. The state of New Jersey is providing free signage to cities that adopt these ordinances. Blumenfeld said these ordinances save money because cities no longer have to sweep up cigarettes and empty receptacles for discarded butts. Councilman Terrence Love, who sponsored the ordinance, said there is no down side to banning smoking on public property. Love acknowledged that people would likely continue smoke in the park, but he said it is important to “raise awareness” that smoking is not condoned.