Smoking legislations became a big topic during the month of February. Most talked about was the passing of the Smoke Free Parks and Beaches legislations. Mayor Micheal Bloomberg announced plans to ban smoking in all city parks, beaches, and public plazas. This includes 117 city parks and 14 miles of beaches. On February 2nd, the City Council voted 36-12 to approve the legislation. The main reason for this ban is the high health risk of secondhand smoke. There will be a $50 summons if caught smoking in locations such as Central Park, the boardwalk of Coney Island, and part of Time Square. Mayor Micheal Bloomberg signed the ban into law on February 22nd and will go into effect on May 23, 2011.
Nassau County's legislators Judi Bosworth and Judy Jacobs proposed a bill that would ban smoking in cars with children under the age of eighteen riding inside. This ban would also protect against the high risk of secondhand smoke. If caught, offenders would pay a heavy $1,000 fine. This specific bill is being considered to go statewide. However, the fine would be reduced to $100 and involve children under the age of fourteen.
College campuses were not exempt from the smoking bans. It was announced that CUNY (City University of New York) wants to ban smoking on all its campuses by 2012. This tobacco policy will make CUNY the largest smoke-free public university system in the United States. The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to ban smoking on all 23 campuses in the five boroughs. This ban also prohibits the use of tobacco industry promotions and marketing on campus properties as well as tobacco industry sponsorship of athletic events and athletes.
