Palos Heights Forbids Smoking at All Parks

Smoking is no longer allowed on all municipal parks and recreation property in Palos Heights, after the City Council set in place a policy at its meeting Tuesday night.

Though the measure has not yet been made law, it allows city workers to ask smokers to either put out their cigarettes, cigars and pipes (including e-cigarettes) immediately or ask them to leave the property—whether outdoors or away from anyone else.

State law currently prohibits smokers from lighting up inside or within 15 feet from entrances, exits, windows that open and vents of all public places and workplaces, including but not limited to offices, theaters, museums, libraries, educational institutions, schools, commercial establishments, enclosed shopping centers and retail stores, restaurants, bars, private clubs and gaming facilities.

With only a policy and not a law currently in place, smokers will not yet be fined, arrested or forced to leave. The issue has come up specifically with the public pool and the Palos Heights Recreation Center, aldermen said.

“There are some adult groups that use the Rec Center the same times as kids’ dance groups, which to tend to arrive at the same time that adults are taking cigarette breaks outside, and the kids kind of have to go through the gauntlet [of smoke],” said Alderman Donald Bylut, as reported by The Regional News.

Palos Heights is now one of 1,000 other municipalities in the country with bans against smoking entirely or in part from its outdoor grounds.

Mayor Robert Straz said during the meeting that he anticipates the council will move forward with an official ban in the near future.