The ordinance bans smoking in any outdoor area, including sidewalks, trails and pathways in or around park facilities, park strips and other grounds of any park. This new ordinance also bans smoking within twenty-five (25) feet of any entrance, exit, operable window, or intake opening of any golf course, community center or library owned leased or occupied by the City.

For more information concerning the new ordinance, call the Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services at 408-535-3500. The definition of Secondhand Smoke describes a side stream of smoke released from a burning end of a cigarette, exhaled into the mainstream and captured by an involuntary nature of breathing in the immediate vicinity.

The 2006 Surgeon General’s report uses the term “involuntary” in the title because most nonsmokers do not want to breathe tobacco smoke. Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 chemical compounds and the National Toxicology Program estimates that at least 250 chemicals in secondhand smoke are known to be toxic or carcinogenic.

Research findings were introduced to Council and a proposal was presented in the Fall of 2007 to ban smoking in any outdoor area, which includes sidewalks, trails and pathways in or around park facilities, park strips and other grounds of any park; and within twenty-five (25) feet horizontally or vertically of any entrances, exits, operable windows or air intake openings of any community center or library owned, leased or occupied by the City.