New York City officials have announced a plan to ban smoking outdoors..

September 15, 2010 - New York City would expand its ban on smoking in indoor workplaces to outdoor venues including public parks and beaches (14 miles of public beaches and 29,000 acres of parkland) in a proposed law backed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council leaders. The mayor, joined by Council Speaker Christine Quinn and representatives from the American Cancer Society, said the bill would extend the Smoke Free Air Act, a 2002 law that banned smoking from offices, bars, restaurants and playgrounds in an effort to protect people from the harmful effects of secondhand exposure. 14 miles of public beaches and 29,000 acres of parkland.

Background:
August 24, 2010 - Mayor Bloomberg’s anti-smoking crusade could be coming to a city park or public beach near you, a plan plenty of people say crosses the line, reports CBS 2′s Dave Carlin. CBS 2 has learned that Mayor Bloomberg is looking at a possible smoking ban for all city parks and public beaches. The new measure would widen the current smoking ban – in bars, subways, buildings, playgrounds and other public places – to include some 29,000 acres of park land and 14 miles of beaches. (New York City - Mayor Bloomberg still mulling over smoking ban at NYC parks, beaches..)

July 7, 2010 - Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said on Tuesday, July 6th that he was leaning toward seeking a ban on smoking at city parks and beaches. See Background below on October 1, 2009 the mayor indicated he was pushing ahead to get this done.
Mr. Bloomberg said the ban made sense because it would cut the health risks of secondhand smoke and reduce littering. (New York City - Mayor Bloomberg still considering smoking ban in parks and beaches.. - Get It Done Already!!)

October 1, 2009 - The mayor initially hedged when Health Commissioner Thomas Farley proposed the ban last month, saying enforcement would be difficult. But now Mayor Bloomberg says he's pushing ahead with a controversial plan to ban smoking at city parks and beaches, after earlier saying it needed more study. (New York City - Mayor Bloomberg pushing ahead to ban smoking in city parks and beaches..)

September 14, 2009 - The city’s health commissioner, Dr. Thomas A. Farley, announced on Monday, September 14, 2009 that the Bloomberg administration would seek to ban smoking in city parks and beaches. (New York City - may ban smoking in parks and beaches...

“Cigarettes kill some 7,500 New Yorkers every year, and thousands more suffer smoking-related strokes, heart attacks, lung diseases and cancers,” city Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said at the news conference. “By expanding the act to cover parks and beaches, we can reduce the toll even further.”

Violators of the proposed law, which would also cover boardwalks, marinas and pedestrian plazas such as that found near Times Square, would face a quality-of-life violation carrying a fine of about $50, said Jessica Scaperotti, a spokeswoman for the mayor. The Parks Department will enforce the law, she said. Smokers may continue to light up on public sidewalks and in parking lots, she said.

The proposal must be approved by the City Council.

References: New York City Law Would Extend Smoking Ban to Public Parks and Beaches by Henry Goldman (hgoldman@bloomberg.net), Bloomberg.com, 9/15/2010; Another kick in the ash: Mayor Bloomberg to ban smoking in Times Square, city beaches by CLEMENTE LISI, New York Post, 9/15.2010.

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