Davis stubs out smokers
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y the time summer rolls around in Davis County, there may be a lot less smoking in public places.
The Davis County Board of Health appears ready to make good on its long-standing threat to restrict smoking in playgrounds, sports fields, swimming pools, golf courses and the like. It will accept public input at a meeting next week -- Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at 50 E. State St. in Farmington -- but could have the regulation in place as early as June.
As reported in the Standard-Examiner on Wednesday, the ban would affect smoking in all public outdoor gathering areas in Davis County -- even on private property where the public gathers, such as standing in line at ATMs, outdoor walk-up counters at fast-food restaurants, ticket counters, wherever. At golf courses, people won't be able to smoke on putting greens or driving ranges, but they can light up while out on the fairways.
We've said before, these restrictions are long overdue. Utah is actually arriving late to the game of protecting residents from secondhand smoke in public places; other states like California and New York have been leading the way.
It's certain there are smokers in Davis County who believe they are being unfairly put upon with these proposed regulations. If so, they should attend the meeting on Tuesday and make their objections known.
The science, however, is on the Board of Health's side. The Environmental Protection Agency has classified secondhand smoke as a toxin that's as dangerous as asbestos and other carcinogens. The American Heart Association has concluded exposure to secondhand smoke doubles the risk of heart attack.
If we can protect nonsmokers from these ill effects, we should do so. That's why we support the efforts of the Davis County Board of Health in pursuing these regulations. Furthermore, we encourage other Top of Utah counties to follow suit.
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