City Passes Park Smoking Ban
Until recently, the Seattle Parks and Recreation department had a rule which prohibited park patrons from smoking within 25 feet of another park patron. Enforcing this rule was nearly impossible at pedestrian-heavy parks downtown where people tend to move around a lot. Additionally, in small parks that have play spaces, such as Westlake Park, even if smokers kept 25 feet from a play space, children were still not protected from second-hand smoke.
In March 2015, park staff recommended that the board pass a complete smoking ban across all of Seattle’s public parks. Parents for a Better Downtown Seattle supported this ban by writing letters to Council Members and Parks Commissioners, and by providing public testimony in support of the ban. We’re happy to report that the ban passed, and all of Seattle’s public parks are now smoke-free!
