The Summerville Town Council is moving forward with plans to ban smoking in public parks and during special events.
On Thursday, council members passed a first reading of an ordinance that will amend the current ordinance, which prohibits smoking inside businesses and public buildings.
Councilwoman Kima Garten-Schmidt said if the town creates designated smoking areas and receptacles for cigarette butts, it would help cut down on litter. She referenced comments made by the Beautification Committee Chair, Heather Johnson, who said the committee members picked up well over 1,000 cigarette butts during a recent litter clean up effort in the downtown area.
“I think that this is going to be a great thing for our environment, for our children who are our future, not having to be exposed to secondhand smoke” Garten-Schmidt said.
Councilwoman Christine Czarnik said she supports the ordinance but would like to see it changed to include smoking and vaping.
“Having to inhale somebody else’s particulate matter, regardless of the source, is what we need to address,” Czarnik said.
Mayor Wiley Johnson said he’d been talking with the town attorney about how the ban could be enforced, potentially by imposing fines if there is a violation.
Councilman Bill McIntosh said he understood the issue when it came up for discussion in the parks and recreation committee meeting.
“I had understood the direction we were heading into was to not necessarily criminalize the use of tobacco products, a legal product, in our public areas,” McIntosh said. “But to perhaps implement some rules for our parks...this is something different, it does have fines. Personally, I think we should get the government out of people’s lives as much as possible.”
He said he would not support the ordinance.
Councilman Aaron Brown said tobacco is a real health problem and it makes sense to include vaping in the ban but since this was only a first reading, there is time to tweak the ordinance.
“We’re trying to come up with some balance here… but I do think it’s something we need to consider,” Brown said.
Councilman Bob Jackson said it’s “reasonable” to provide designated areas for people who want to smoke.
Council voted 5-1 to pass the first reading of the ordinance.
There are 11 parks in Summerville; Azalea, Doty, Gahagan, Hutchinson Square, Jessen Boat Landing, Newington Plantation, Saul Alexander, Shepard, Summerville Skate Park, Wassamassaw Community Park and Brown Family Park in Nexton.
