The Raleigh City Council decided Tuesday to delay voting on whether to accept a recommended ban on all tobacco products in the city’s parks. The city’s Parks, Recreation & Greenway Advisory Board submitted the recommendation after 3.5 years of study and consideration. State law had to be changed to give the city council authority for the proposed ban. Asheville and Buncombe County have enacted smoking bans in parks and other government-owned open spaces.
Council members raised concerns about enforcement costs and the imposition a ban would cause on smokers.
To view CarolinaJournal.tv’s full report on the proposed smoking ban in Raleigh parks and open space, click on the video.
Anthony Greco is an associate editor of Carolina Journal.