Smoking ban considered

FARMINGTON — The Davis County Board of Health wants public comment on a proposal to ban smoking at certain public places outdoors, such as parks, sporting events or stadiums.

Questions that still need to be answered include whether the county should have designated smoking areas and if public golf courses should come under the ban. The board also needs to decide what penalty should be affixed to violations.

"It would be more of an educational penalty than a severe penalty," said Davis County Health Department director Lewis Garrett.

During a meeting Tuesday, the board authorized Garrett to start the public hearing process and seek comment from residents and to the Davis County Council of Governments, a committee consisting of the county's 15 mayors and three county commissioners.

Notices will be placed in local newspapers and in public places, and the health department will take written and verbal comment for two weeks, Garrett said. But he doesn't know if many people will comment.

"It's not a controversial issue," he said.

In the health board's December meeting, it established a subcommittee to study outdoor smoking, and the committee recommended a ban for those public places.

"The board clearly accepted the recommen- dation of the committee," Garrett said. "They're moving forward expeditiously."

The next board meeting is scheduled for June 12 at 7 a.m. in Farmington.

Clinton, a northern Davis County city, was the first city in the state to ban smoking in specific outdoor venues, Garrett said. Clinton was followed by Sandy, Salt Lake City and Midvale, among other cities.

If the Davis board establishes a countywide ordinance, Garrett said, it would keep cities across the county from establishing varying ordinances.

In June 2006, U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona issued a report concluding that there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke. "If you can smell it, it's harmful," Garrett said.

The report said nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke at home or work increase their risk of developing heart disease by 25 percent to 30 percent and lung cancer by 20 percent to 25 percent. More information about secondhand smoke and Carmona's report is available at www.surgeongeneral.gov.

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E-mail: jdougherty@desnews.com