Gloucester Township Council Passes Smoking Ban Ahead Of Great American Smokeout

Gloucester Township, NJ -- Gloucester Township has instituted a smoking ban on all properties and at all parks owned by the township ahead of the Great American Smokeout, township officials announced this week.

Council recently passed the ordinance in what they call an effort “to provide a smoke-free environment and maintain safe and healthy surroundings for residents and visitors.”

The ban is part of the township’s Project SAVE initiative to combat addiction, which was launched two years ago.

The Project SAVE program focuses on three critical areas: suppression, prevention and Intervention, Gloucester Township Police said.

Officials say the ban “will yield a healthier environment as well as reduce litter caused by smoking.”
Tobacco Free for a Healthy New Jersey has provided signs that the township has placed at parks and other properties, warning people of the new law.

The ordinance was passed ahead of the Great American Smokeout, which was set for Thursday, Nov. 17.

“Every year, on the third Thursday of November, smokers across the nation take part in the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout event,” police said in a statement. “Encourage someone you know to use the date to make a plan to quit, or plan in advance and then quit smoking that day. By quitting – even for one day – smokers will be taking an important step toward a healthier life and reducing their cancer risk.

“About 40 million Americans still smoke cigarettes, and tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the world. While cigarette smoking rates have dropped (from 42% in 1965 to 17% in 2014), cigar, pipe, and hookah – other dangerous and addictive ways to smoke tobacco – are very much on the rise. Smoking kills people – there’s no “safe” way to smoke tobacco. Quitting smoking has immediate and long-term benefits at any age. Quitting is hard, but you can increase your chances of success with help. Getting help through counseling or medications can double or triple the chances of quitting successfully.”

The American Cancer Society provides information about the steps smokers can take to quit smoking, and provides quit-smoking programs, resources and support that can increase the chances of quitting successfully.

To learn about the available tools, call us at 1-800-227-2345, and find free tips and tools below:

• What are the Benefits of Quitting?
• QUIZ: Do You Need Help Quitting?
• Desktop Helpers

• Latest News About Tobacco and Smoking
• Fight Back Against Tobacco

The attached image was provided by Gloucester Township Police