scheduled for Aug. 13
New law would
ban smoking
at parks, fields
Public hearing
scheduled for Aug. 13
By dave benjamin
Staff Writer
MANALAPAN — A smoking ban has been proposed for all public or leased recreational facilities in the township.
The ordinance, introduced at the July 23 Township Committee meeting, would prohibit the use of tobacco products in all park and recreation areas and school property owned and leased by the township.
A public hearing on the ordinance has been scheduled for the committee’s Aug. 13 meeting.
"I know the school and the state have their own [regulations], do we have the jurisdiction?" Mayor Drew Shapiro asked township attorney Donald M. Lomurro at the committee’s July 9 meeting.
Lomurro said the opposite was true.
"They (the school and the state) can only prohibit it, but they can’t enforce the penalties," the attorney said. "We have to have the ordinance so we can enforce it."
Without the ordinance in place, Lomurro said, people can be removed from public locations for using tobacco products but the removing agency has no actual police power.
The proposed ordinance, if adopted, would establish a prohibition against smoking or carrying lighted cigarettes, pipes, cigars and other tobacco products within all publicly owned or leased grounds, public parks, playgrounds, ball fields or other recreational areas leased or owned by the township.
The ordinance would further include all property owned or leased by the township adjacent to school buildings, upon which the public is invited, or permitted, and where children gather for recreational activities.
The ordinance also provides for penalties for violations, an enforcement provision and placement of proper signs at the affected locations.
It was suggested during the meeting that the recreation department be allowed to give additional input in the matter. No member of the public offered a comment on the proposal that evening.
Deputy Mayor Rebecca Aaronson read a letter the committee members received from resident Lou Langlais. He urged the committee to vote against the introduction of the ordinance.
Langlais wrote, "Smoking outside in open space will cause no harm to anyone … It’s time you stop over-regulating the public."
Aaronson said her reason to go forward with the ordinance is to discourage smokers from being around children who are involved in recreational activities.