Updated Feb. 7, 1:00 p.m.

By CHRISTINA RITCHIE ROGERS
CorneliusNews.net

Following a unanimous Town Board vote, Cornelius is the first town in Mecklenburg County to ban smoking and the use of other tobacco products in its parks and park buildings. Board members at their regular meeting Monday night voted in favor of a tobacco-free ordinance recommended by the Cornelius Parks, Arts, Recreation and Culture (PARC) Board.

At their last meeting, PARC commissioners unanimously recommended approval of an ordinance banning smoking and tobacco use in town parks and park buildings, saying it would eliminate exposure to second-hand smoke, reduce littering of toxic cigarette butts, and reduce tobacco use by adolescents.

“I think it’s great for us to be the first in the county to do this,” PARC Director Troy Fitzsimmons said. “I hope we’ll set the precedent for the other towns.”

Cigarette butts in a receptacle at Bailey Road Park. (Cornelius PARC photo)

In the U.S., 590 municipalities in 42 states have passed tobacco-free parks policies, including some in North and South Carolina, according to PARC officials. In North Carolina, the counties of Cabarrus, Graham, Buncombe, Halifax, McDowell, Swain and Watauga have adopted tobacco-free ordinances, as have the towns of Concord, Cherryville, Belmont, Elizabethtown, Wendell, Marion, Hillsborough, Marvin and Raleigh. And Orange and Durham counties are looking at county-wide ordinances prohibiting tobacco use in buildings, grounds, vehicles, public places and parks, officials say.

PARC department staff worked with Patricia Bossert of the American Cancer Society to build the case for the ordinance. The use of tobacco products in areas where children are playing is more than just a health risk, Ms. Bossert said, it’s also setting a bad example. Research shows that children and teens who see adults using tobacco products are more likely to try them, she said.

So in addition to reducing the health risks related to second-hand smoke, the ordinance also will set a good example for area youth by modeling healthy lifestyle choices. And, the ordinance will reduce environmental problems of litter and dispersal of the toxic chemicals found in cigarette butts and other tobacco products.

If the ordinance is passed, the town would put up 40 to 50 signs like this on PARC grounds.

The ordinance will take effect March 1, Mr. Fitzsimmons said, after the town posts about 40 signs on park grounds indicating the areas are tobacco-free and removes ashtrays and other receptacles from the grounds and buildings. Cornelius staff can only enforce the ordinance on town-owned or town-leased park properties, so county-owned Jetton Park, Ramsey Creek Park and Blythe Landing are not included in the ordinance.

Under the ordinance, PARC employees can tell anyone seen smoking in a tobacco-free area to stop, and if the smoker does not comply, can call police. Violation of the ordinance can result in a $50 fine.

But based on examples in other towns, typically the park visitors handle enforcement on their own, reminding other visitors that the area is tobacco-free, Mr. Fitzsimmons said.

“These ordinances are almost always self-enforced,” Ms. Bossert said. She has worked to implement similar no-tobacco ordinances in municipalities across the state.

“From a park perspective, the ordinance makes absolute sense,” Mr. Fitzsimmons said. “You go to the park to get a breath of fresh air,” he said, and the PARC department aims to promote a healthy, active lifestyle.

Also Monday, the board:

• Voted unanimously to approve zoning for a 17-acre worship campus. Read the full story here.
• Voted unanimously to keep open the town’s 911 call center. Read the full story here.
• Recognized Margaret Ahern and Randolph Lewis for their service on the Histric Preservation Commission, and recognized Susan Medlin for her work on the Land Development Code Advisory Board.
• Voted to reappoint David Stroud and to appoint Kathryn McClelland and Roy Suttles to the Historic Preservation Commission.
• Voted to change the spelling of Manhatten Parkway to Manhattan Parkway.
• Heard a request from Commissioner Dave Gilroy to consider switching to 3-year terms.