COUNCIL TACKLES TWO BURNING ISSUES NOW SMOKE WON'T GET IN YOUR EYES: LOS ANGELES BANS PUFFING IN PARKS.

Byline: KERRY CAVANAUGH and SUE DOYLE

Staff Writers

Smokers, beware.

After prohibiting smoking near playgrounds, picnic areas, sports fields and beaches, the city of Los Angeles has banned puffing tobacco in the city's 390 parks.

In a unanimous vote Wednesday, the City Council approved a "curb-to-curb" ban on smoking in city-owned parks that slaps violators with fines up to $250.

"Today was an important step to make Los Angeles parks smoke-free," said Councilman Tom LaBonge, who sponsored the ban with Councilwoman Jan Perry.

"How horrible it is for children to play in sand, in play boxes, in parks, on slides and come across any kind of trash, especially an old cigarette."

Los Angeles becomes the latest city in the Golden State to tighten smoking restrictions in public areas, although exceptions were made for designated areas in some major park areas and during filming.

Smokers also can still puff a cigarette or cigar at most city-owned golf courses and in designated areas at the zoo and Greek Theatre.

But some visitors to Lake Balboa on Wednesday said the ban still goes too far.

"I understand the point at restaurants, because they are enclosed," said Greg Gavutyan, a smoker from Tujunga. "But at parks? That's too much."

Eating lunch at a nearby picnic table, 35-year-old Lauren Dibbs agreed, even though she said she can't stand the smell of smoke.

"If we expect smokers to respect our boundaries by not smoking in restaurants, then we should respect their boundaries by letting them smoke outside," Dibbs said.

But while fines can hit as much as $250, it's unlikely park rangers will cite smokers, said Vicki Israel, recreation and parks department acting assistant general manager.

"In reality, our park safety officers are so taxed with making sure the parks are safe, they are not going to engage in actively seeking out smokers," she said.

Instead, Israel said, the department will rely on signs, education and self-enforcement to ensure that people stop smoking in parks.

"We've been successful," she said. "It appears that many people who see the signs and see someone smoking, all it takes is a very nice, 'Please look at the sign and would you go someplace else."'

But not everyone feels comfortable pointing out the law to strangers.

Although she likes the idea of smoke-free parks, Maura Macaluso of Ventura said she fears retaliation for telling others to put their cigarettes out.

"My first reaction would be to keep my mouth shut and move," the 43-year-old Macaluso said.

The rule will take effect as soon as Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa signs the ordinance, although the recreation department will need about six months and $25,000 to $50,000 to install new, no-smoking signs.

Carolyn Doherty, 40, of Porter Ranch said she welcomes the new ordinance because she doesn't enjoy wafting cigarette smoke when she's at the park playing with her children.

"It does impinge on my rights and on my breathing space," Doherty said.

But playing with a remote-control boat at a park, Art Demchirian decried the slowly eroding right to smoke in California.

"If I'm paying for the cigarettes, I should be able to smoke where I want to," the Sherman Oaks resident said.

Los Angeles is just the latest California city to adopt a no-smoking ordinance for public parks. In 2005, Calabasas became the first city in the Southland to enact a municipal smoking ban -- one of the nation's toughest. Santa Monica quickly followed.

In March, Burbank passed a secondhand-smoke control ordinance that restricts smoking in the downtown shopping district along San Fernando Road and banned tobacco use at public parks, lines and other outdoor venues.

Beverly Hills also tightened smoking restrictions earlier this year. And Pasadena and Glendale are currently considering similar ordinances.

But supporters of such bans say the ordinances are nothing personal against smokers.

"We don't hate smokers. Smokers should continue to enjoy our parks," said Robert Berger, who led the effort to ban smoking at city beaches.

"It's really their habit and their addiction that we hate and so leave that home and we welcome you."

kerry.cavanaugh(at)dailynews.com

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