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California City makes it easier to kick tobacco use

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Tartaglia Homes 01737498

 

City of San Luis Obispo leads the fight against tobacco

Once again, the city of San Luis Obispo California is leading the way to combat the issue of smoking in public places. Back in 1990 the city voted to make it illegal to smoke at any indoor public venue within the city. That groundbreaking law has been followed up again in 201o and as of May 20, 2010 residents and visitors are subject to a new city regulation that makes it illegal for smokers or tobacco users to use what has been deemed by the FDA as one of the top class of carcinogens in any public area. This includes public streets, parks, patios, parking lots and within 2o feet of any enclosed area that prohibits smoking. Residents and visitors alike are sure to take issue with this new law and the local police force has stated that they will not be actively hunting down offenders but encouraging offenders to put out their cigarettes and to educate smokers that our city is a tobacco free zone.  Their is a provision in the ordinance for areas designated as smoking zones. It also affects smoking in private residences where children are present in situations of shared common areas and condominiums and PUDs.

Is this good or bad?

Depending on how you look at this issue the argument could go either way. Some critics have said that it will cause tourism to go down when potential visitors realize that they are prohibitted from enjoying a drag. Others claim that it is a violation of their rights to enjoy a stroll down the street with a cigarette and others yet, just can't see the logic in passing a law that ultimately won't be enforced actively. Many complain on the premise that they have a right to make their own choices as a citizen and if they choose to smoke where non-smokers are, the non-smokers can move on to another area.

Supporters see it as a matter of protecting the rights of the public and the environment. They say that a person should be able to walk down the street and enjoy their stroll without inhaling secondhand smoke and being put at the mercy of somebody else's decision. Recent CA Regional Water Quality Control Board studies were also used to show the danger of tobacco products in the local environment. Plastic wrappers and cigarette filters are not biodegradable and have been found in local watersheds and beaches where fish and animals can mistake them for food and be poisoned or choked to death on filters or plastic. The study goes on to state that the harsh chemicals in the cigarettes also contribute to contaminated waters.

 

So where do you all stand on this issue?

This is an item that could be coming to your town in the near future and may produce another trend in the fight agains smoking from a little town of just 40,000 residents. The previous ordinance laid the groundwork for nationally adopted standards to prevent smoking and it is very possible that this ordinance will follow suit.

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Dominic Tartaglia, GRI

www.dominictartaglia.com

 

 

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