Deseret News | Utah County eyes smoking ban in all parks

Reader comments
Utah County eyes smoking ban in all parks

Non-smoker | 5:38 a.m. June 17, 2008

I approve wholeheartedly. I don't think a smoker should foul the air within 1000 yards of any living creature.

22 years ago I was in the USAF and a policy came out prohibiting smoking indoors. People complained. It's beyond belief that we ever allowed smoking in indoor places. Same thing with aircraft. What ever made us think there would be a non-smoking section on a jet if someone lit up? In 20 years we will wonder how we ever could allow this self-destructive habit to be done within range of another human.

Dutchman | 8:39 a.m. June 17, 2008

I am all for snuffing out smoking but these outdoor bans that include bus stops have made it worse. I use the bus everyday. Before these smoking bans took effect the smokers would stand with their cigarettes next to the bus stop while the non smokers stood off a few feet. Now with the ban in place, the smokers who are aware of the ban stand a few feet away from the stop while one or two smokers still puff away at the bus stop. Now the non smokers have no where to stand to get away from the smoke when waiting for a bus. There is no enforcement and no signs anywhere to tell people not to smoke at a bus stop. How ridiculous! Return things to the way they were. At least the non smokers could stand a few feet away and breathe clean air!

Charge Smoking Fees | 9:08 a.m. June 17, 2008

Perhaps they could charge a smoking fee to pay for that big pay increase the County Commissioners want for themselves.

Comments continue below

Brother Chuck Schroeder | 9:12 a.m. June 17, 2008

I am sure this will never get printed, because non-smokers feel it's offensive, even though it's the truth and should not be covered up at all either. You obsessive compulsive whiners that are non smokers out there need to "grow up" and wear a clothespin on your nose of it bothers you so much as you purport it to be "so much." Those of you, that live in glass houses, should not through stones, such as you do everything else your not to do, such as drinking and being a alcoholic, the use of illegal street drug's, using any and all types of caffeine product's, gamble, and a host of other social ill's to, make me sick, than you lie about it, to other's. That makes me sick. Let the smoker's alone will you?.

RE: Bother Chuck Schroeder | 9:52 a.m. June 17, 2008

I'll put a clothes pin on my nose if you will agree to launder or dry clean my clothes everytime smoke from a smoker fouls them up.

Colostomy Bags and Diaper Change | 11:07 a.m. June 17, 2008

Hey Brother Schroeder, I won't mind letting you smoke around me, if you will put up with people who have colostomy bags releasing their gas around you or not complaining if people change their babies' diapers within smelling distance of you, even while you are eating in restaurants. You can just wear a clothes pin if you don't like it, because to me, smokers and their tobacco smoke smells just that bad.

Non-smoker. | 12:31 p.m. June 17, 2008

I really dis-like smoking. It is a terrible, debilitating habit that quickly becomes an addiction. Money and time are wasted on it. That being said, we live in a free society. The regulation of everything we do is not the America I wish to live in. Adults that smoke have the right to do so in areas that are not confining and/or not overcrowded. Move away from them if the smoking bothers you. The smoke quickly dissipates in the open air. You do not need to place yourself in harms way. Please do no encourage the government to regulate our lives anymore than they now do.

Brother Chuck Schroeder | 2:07 p.m. June 17, 2008

I'll will swim in this sea of venoms spewing all around me, from the anti-smoker-liberal's venting it, that want government control in the life of everyone, in socialist utopian atmospheres setting's, as long as it does not effect them in their secret private world, of tossing stones in their glass house, when they try to hide they are doing do everything else your not to do, such as drinking and being a alcoholic, the use of illegal street drug's, using any and all types of caffeine product's, gamble, and a long host of other social ill's to, than lie about it to everyone and try to come out smelling like a bed of roses, and not colostomy bags releasing their gas and babies' diapers within smelling distance of you. I am sure this will never get printed, because non-smokers feel it's offensive, even though it's the truth and should not be covered up at all either.

I Want to Breathe Clean Air | 2:27 p.m. June 17, 2008

On Sunday evening, there are concerts in the Provo, North Park (500 North, 500 West). I went to use the bathroom in that park. There is a big sign on the door that says it is a NON-SMOKING building. I opened the door, and was floored by thick, dense, cigarette smoke. I could not even use the bathroom. I looked around for something to prop the door open to let it air out, but could find nothing. Boy, I hate cigarette smoke.

Brother Chuck Schroeder | 3:32 p.m. June 17, 2008

Utah County Health Department wants smoking and other tobacco use to be banned from public parks. What this is here, is what another person had done years back, and wanted men to stop drinking and smoking cigars. Alice Paul - (1885-1977), American feminist and social reformer, who was a militant supporter of women's rights and used her skills as a speaker and propagandist to fight for the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution. Today you still want the taxes off of major Cigarette Companies and off of the smoker's that use their product's, but would you also like some cheese alone with your whine as well?. Why don't you anti-smoker's than try to shut down the major Cigarette companies such as R.J. Reynolds' or won't the Dem's let you?. They like those taxes to you know.

Cancer Sticks Stink | 3:40 p.m. June 17, 2008

I have to laugh at how you, Brother Schroeder, defends a person's right to expose other people to cancerous toxins. While smokers view non-smokers as "selfish anti-smoking liberals", it is they who are being selfish, even to the point of risking someone else's health just to put up with their weak-minded, unhealthy habits. To me someone forcing others to breathe their second-hand smoke is just as criminal as someone knowingly passing HIV to someone. The truth is that tobacco smoke kills and costs our health cares system untold billions of dollars each year. If people want to smoke, fine, but they can do it in the confines of their own home or automobile and quit forcing others to unwillingly participate with you like some communist redistributing wealth--in this case--smoke!

Re: Cancer Sticks Stink | 5:39 p.m. June 17, 2008

In "YOUR" communist redistributing wealth, you know what your talking about - as like most non-smoker's do either - you BOAST about "breathe their second-hand smoke", in the paper and in the tobacco there are something like 525 other thing's added to it, that kills - not second hand smoke. Those thing's gets one hooked on from 1 toke up to a total of 5 cig's. Most all tobacco product's go over seas to third world countries, that's where they make the big buck's at. It's person's like yourself that stinks and makes me sick. Today you still want the taxes off of major Cigarette Companies and off of the smoker's that use their product's for your greed, but you don't get it from non smoker's. You are forcing others to unwillingly participate with what you like, non smoking, against their free agency, the same as Hitler did. Smoker's can't do it in the confines of their own home or automobile, it's like me saying to you, if you want clean air, than lock yourself in a can, and breathe it from there when you want fresh air. There's 2 sides to every coin here.

Brother Chuck Schroeder | 6:36 p.m. June 17, 2008

There's a sucker born every minute" is a phrase often credited to P.T. Barnum (1810 - 1891), an American showman . It is generally taken to mean that there are (and always will be) a lot of gullible people in the world. When you start pushing for the prohibiting smoking indoors thing, in a public park, in a restroon let's say, without any smoke detectors installed in them with a alarm, does this mean you'll than have to add a park cop standing in each rest room, the men's and women's, and another in "the family restroom also." Think of it, smoking creates jobs you'll say, on the other hand these cops may catch a log cabin republican in it also doing the naughty, and, having a smoke afterward. No smoking sign's don't work either, no smoker reads them anyway. Worry more about the non smoker, that do everything else your not to do, drinking and being a alcoholic, the use of illegal street drug's, using any and all types of caffeine product's, gamble, and a long host of other social ill's to, than lie about it to everyone.

Utah Doc | 11:32 p.m. June 17, 2008

Smokers are disgusting selfish people that for the most part don't care about anyone or anything. How many time have you seen a smoker toss their cigarette butts on the ground... like it's not littering.

Smoking within 200 feet of another human being and in all public settings should be illegal. Additionally, all smokers should have to post a $100,000 bond before being allowed to purchase cigarettes... call it a rainy day fund so that Medicade and our tax money is not stuck with the bills from all of the self inflicted illnesses.

Big Picture | 1:24 a.m. June 18, 2008

Look at the big picture. Countless studies have shown that smoking is deadly. Yet people still by the millions flock to them. Why? We educate, advertise, and spurn off countless stop smoking programs. And they don't work.

If we ban them outright we will only start a black market and underground "smoking" clubs. So the only thing left really is to legislate our way around. Is this the best way? No. Ideally we should be able to just say "Hey, that will kill you."

We tax them to death. Is this effective? Yeah. In New York they tax to the point it's $10 a pack. And they find the "Stop Smoking" hot-lines are ringing off the hook.

This Initiative can help in a few ways:
1)Visibility to our children can be an effective way of teaching them that smoking isn't a "Socially Acceptable Norm." It's not that cool guy with roller blades in the park.

2)It helps keep our parks clean and safe from carelessly discarded butts. We live in a DESERT and fire is a real danger.

While I am saddened we must proceed in such a litigious manner. It brings us a step towards a more healthy society.

Bless you | 6:30 p.m. June 22, 2008

I don't live in Utah, I don't smoke, but I do teach recreation and park management at the collegiate level. Have for decades.

Bless you for giving me something to talk about in class. My students will conclude, if I know them at all, that Utah County is out of its ever lov'n mind. We will discuss the matter of public, what is it, why is it, how dangerous is second smoke from... say 10 feet away, up wind, on a windy day, or 100 yards away on a calm day, or... well, the students will notice how unrealistic this proposed ban will be. Next it will be anti chewing tobacco, or perhaps a nicotine patch gone bad. Shake downs for having a cig. in your pockets is next.

Just when I thought that freedom loving people lived in Utah, you come up with something like this.

But Bless You, I now know what to talk about on the 8th session of the semester. It will definitely fire up the troops and get the brain dead moving.

Of course, Utah's reputation as a repressive society that romps on the minority will only be enhanced once again.

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