To smoke or not to smoke in Lacey parks: City leans toward designated areas instead of ban

Lacey’s parks board has recommended that smoking only be allowed in designated areas of city parks. Now, a Lacey City Council committee is set to consider the issue next month.

The recommendation is set to come before the city’s general government and public safety committee on Nov. 13, according to city information.

Lacey Mayor Andy Ryder, Deputy Mayor Cynthia Pratt and Councilwoman Rachel Young sit on that committee.

The parks board took up the issue of smoking on park property in June after a woman complained about people smoking near her children at Long Lake Beach Park. The city responded by created a designated area for smokers, which was “successfully used by patrons the rest of the summer.”

The Regional Athletic Complex has a designated smoking area and city staff have asked patrons to smoke outside of Huntamer Park boundaries during Lacey In Tune concerts. It was not immediately clear how smoking has been handled at other city parks.

Although the city is leaning toward a “designated areas” smoking policy, Seattle, Kent, Tacoma/Pierce County, Gig Harbor, Puyallup, Fife and Mason County have banned smoking in parks, according to city information. A ban takes effect in Olympia next year. Tumwater asks for voluntary non-smoking in its parks, the Lacey information shows.

This story was originally published October 22, 2017 at 11:33 AM with the headline "To smoke or not to smoke in Lacey parks: City leans toward designated areas instead of ban."