County supervisors poised to vote Tuesday on smoking ban LIMITS: Recommendation on table for public areas.

Byline: Troy Anderson, Staff Writer

Potentially joining a growing group of cities and counties in California that have banned smoking in public areas, Los Angeles County supervisors are set to vote Tuesday whether to ban or limit smoking at county parks and golf courses.

"For the same reason we placed smoking bans at our beaches, our parks are also places where thousands of people gather, and smoking is a health issue," Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said Friday. "Second-hand smoke contributes to cancer and other ailments."

The county Department of Parks and Recreation recently issued a 29-page report recommending the county ban smoking at community parks and regional parks, natural areas and sanctuaries, arboretum and botanic gardens and equestrian parks.

The department also recommended the county prohibit smoking in facilities run by lease operators, except for designated smoking areas. For golf courses, this would include driving ranges, putting and pitching greens, within 20 feet of buildings and in areas of high fire risk. Golfers could smoke on the course itself, unless it's in a high fire zone.

Some golf course operators told county officials they were concerned that a total ban on smoking would affect revenues.

During film productions at county parks, actors would still be allowed to smoke.

The vote Tuesday will be whether to direct county officials to draft the ordinance.

If drafted and ultimately approved, the ordinance will affect the county's 144 parks, which receive 20 million visitors annually. These parks include 19 golf courses - the largest municipal golf system in the nation.

"Studies show that second-hand smoke can have significant negative health impacts, even outdoors," Department of Parks and Recreation Director Russ Guiney wrote in the report. "Cigarette litter in parks also increases fire danger when park patrons discard cigarettes on the ground or into trashcans. Also, children and pets, as well as park wildlife, can ingest cigarette butts, which can lead to nicotine poisoning and other harmful effects."

Guiney estimated it would cost $36,000 for the no-smoking signs and an additional $12,750 for an educational outreach campaign.

In 2007, the city of Los Angeles enacted a smoke-free parks policy following a fire at Griffith Park started by a cigarette. But smoking is permitted on city golf courses, except for the four courses in Griffith Park where smoking is only allowed in designated areas and not in all areas of the course. San Francisco is the only jurisdiction in the state with a complete smoke-free policy prohibiting smoking on all its golf courses.

[e-mail]

213-974-8985