Politics & Government

Smoking Ban Finally Adopted in Scotch Plains

Council members agreed to further detail the fine structure and to add the library property to the ban in an amendment.

Scotch Plains council members unanimously adopted a smoking ban for town properties and parks after months of discussion at Tuesday's council meeting. 

Previously, council members had disagreed about which public properties should be included in the smoking ban proposed by Deputy Mayor Colleen Gialanella. At a meeting last month, after further discussion, the council revised the ordinance to remove Scotch Hills Golf Course from the ban (except for the minigolf course) and left room to designate a smoking area outside the municipal building.

Gialanella was the force behind the ban, voicing her thoughts that smoking should not be happening in public recreation areas where children are at play, and also her concern that the town's turf fields could be harmed by cigarette butts.

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"There shouldn’t be smoking where our kids are playing or running up and down the fields," said Gialanella. "It's ridiculous."

Before the vote, council members discussed the fines associated with violations, which are at the township judge's discretion with a maximum of $1,000. Council members agreed to further detail the fine structure and to add the library property to the ban in an amendment to be voted upon at their next meeting. 

Find out what's happening in Scotch Plains-Fanwoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Donna Drummond, a representative from Tobacco Free For a Healthy New Jersey, came to the meeting to voice support for the ordinance. 

"I think what is more important is adults not modeling smoking around youth, which makes it less likely they will initiate smoking," said Drummond. 

Gialanella thanked Drummond for coming out to support the ordinance, saying it "made her night."

 


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