Officials met at the Tri-Village Field in Greenlawn this week to announce a new legislation that would prohibit smoking on Town of Huntington athletic fields.
This legislation, drafted by councilman Mark Cuthbertson, is in response to several residents who were concerned for their health while being exposed to secondhand smoke at sporting events. Pictured above is resident Daniel Stratton who brought this issue to the attention of the Town.
“The goal of my legislation is to protect residents and their families from the health concerns related to secondhand smoke," Cuthbertson said in a press release. "If passed, this will extend my no smoking legislation to include playgrounds, beaches and athletic fields."
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Although smoking in Suffolk County parks and beaches have been outlawed since a law was passed in 2012 to restrict smoking to only parking facilities, the County does not have the authority to ban smoking on Town properties.
“As a practicing pediatric ear, nose, and throat physician, protecting residents from the dangers of tobacco is a cause near and dear to my heart. That is why I stand here with my colleagues on the town level to advocate for these measures,” Suffolk County Legislator William R. Spencer, M.D. said in a press release.
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When non-smokers inhale secondhand smoke, they take in the same nicotine and toxic chemicals as smokers. The Town estimates that 2.5 million non-smokers have died due to health problems caused by secondhand smoke since 1964.
A public hearing on this issue will be held August 16. If the legislation is approved, sports fields will join Town playgrounds, beaches and parks as “No Smoking Zones.” The resolution is slated to be considered by the Town board at their next meeting
“Everything counts; even a child becoming conditioned to see cigarettes out in public or out at a ball field, has an impact,” Spencer said. “This is something that in the long term will save lives.”
Image via Office of William Spencer: (l-r) Spencer, Stratton and Cuthbertson
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