LIGHTING UP IN PUBLIC? NEW LAW COULD GET YOU BURNED.Byline: JUDY O'ROURKE Staff Writer SANTA CLARITA Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, -- Joining many other cities statewide, Santa Clarita likely will ban smoking in public parks. The City Council on Tuesday gave the nod to a law that makes cigarette and cigar smokers lawbreakers if they light up at public places such as city parks, trails, swimming pools, sports fields and at the skate park. Final approval is expected Nov.28. ``In Santa Clarita, we do have a high incidence of asthma,'' said Adele Macpherson, superintendent of community services. ``It doesn't make sense to have children exercising and doing a healthy activity when they could be exposed to secondhand smoke sec·ond·hand smoke n. Cigarette, cigar, or pipe smoke that is inhaled unintentionally by nonsmokers and may be injurious to their health if inhaled regularly over a long period. Also called passive smoke. .'' The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), independent agency of the U.S. government, with headquarters in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1970 to reduce and control air and water pollution, noise pollution, and radiation and to ensure the safe handling and calls secondhand smoke a hazardous carcinogen carcinogen: see cancer. carcinogen Agent that can cause cancer. Exposure to one or more carcinogens, including certain chemicals, radiation, and certain viruses, can initiate cancer under conditions not completely understood. . It has been found to cause bronchitis and pneumonia in children, worsen childhood asthma and heighten the risk of chronic ear infections. Calabasas, Beverly Hills Beverly Hills, city (1990 pop. 31,971), Los Angeles co., S Calif., completely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles; inc. 1914. The largely residential city is home to many motion-picture and television personalities. , Huntington Beach Huntington Beach, city (1990 pop. 181,519), Orange co., S Calif., on the Pacific coast, across from Santa Catalina Island, in an oil-producing area; inc. 1909. It manufactures aerospace vehicles, aircraft parts, optical instruments, and heat transfer equipment. , San Diego San Diego (săn dēā`gō), city (1990 pop. 1,110,549), seat of San Diego co., S Calif., on San Diego Bay; inc. 1850. San Diego includes the unincorporated communities of La Jolla and Spring Valley. Coronado is across the bay. and San Francisco have banned smoking in parks. Some question the wisdom of a blanket ban, which would include Veterans Historical Plaza in Newhall, a park near senior housing that attracts few young children. Nearby resident Maria Gutzeit has spent years trying to break her elderly mom and mother-in-law of the smoking habit. ``I feel like if we go out for a walk to Hart Park or Vets park, if they want to take a cigarette break, they're going to be breaking a law,'' she said. Others wonder if the law would be hard to enforce, but the city may carve out designated smoking areas in parks. ``Ideally we'll solicit cooperation from the offending party ... using the city's parks and recreation staff,'' said sheriff's Lt. Mike Dunkle, the acting station commander. ``It will be up to them if they want to have a deputy come out and issue a citation.'' Tobacco proprietors said they do not feel burned by the law. ``In public parks, it is understandable,'' said Victor Iskaros, owner of Tobacco Plus, a Canyon Country smoke shop. ``I have kids, and I never smoked in my house; I smoked in my backyard.'' Valencia Newsstand boasts a walk-in cigar humidor hu·mi·dor n. A container designed for storing cigars or other tobacco products at a constant level of humidity. [From humid (on the model of cuspidor).] and hosts cigar-tasting events at a local restaurant. ``I approve of it even though I'm in the business,'' owner Javier Hernandez said. ``Since smoke has been classified as a carcinogen ... it's not fair somebody should be subject to (breathing) smoke if they should not want to.'' judy.orourke@dailynews.com (661) 257-5255 CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Santa Clarita is considering an ordinance to ban smoking at city parks and along bike paths. The City Council is expected to give final approval for the law Nov. 28. David Crane/Staff Photographer 
I read an article about a boy that OD'd on Nicorette gum given at school without parental knowledge. So, in a legal drug pushing scheme, pharmaceutical nicotine is pushed on 12 year old kids trumping parental autonomy. If anyone doubted that the anti-smoking, anti-overweight crusade leads back to Johnson & Johnson, open your eyes people!<br>Using CHILDREN as an excuse for adults to exert the preference of one group over another is shameful! Take a look at this EPA emmissions chart:<br>Cigarette 3 mg of nitrogen oxide (NO) and 40 mg of carbon monoxide (CO)<br>One single 747 takeoff/landing 115 pounds of NO and 32 pounds of CO <br> (That's 52 million mg of NO and 14 million mg of CO)<br>500 takeoffs/landings per day shows us that <br>the nice clean smokefree air being pumped into those terminals has the CO <br>equivalent of over 160 million cigarettes and the NO of Eight and a Half BILLION <br>cigarettes. How many people go to airports or heat their homes or simply drive their cars? <br>AVERAGED EMISSIONS OF FINE PARTICLES IN GRAMS PER HOUR OR DAY<br>Cigarette .4 grams/hour (0.8 grams/pack) <br>Gas or Propane Furnace .001 grams/hour ( 0.024 grams/day) <br>Oil furnace .02 grams/hour (0.48 grams/day) <br>Pellet Stove 2.4 grams/hour ( 56.6 grams/day) <br>Single Simulated Log 8 grams/hour <br>Certified Wood Stove 8.2 grams/hour (196.8 grams/day) (1000 CHARACTERS)<br>Non-certified wood stove 15.6 grams/hour <br>Fireplace-hardwood (36 lbs. or 16 kg burned over 3 hours.) 30 grams/hour <br>Fireplace-softwood (31 lbs.or 14kg burned over 3 hours.) 59 grams/hour. <br>Auto-with Catalytic Converter .66 grams/hour <br>Auto-without Catalytic Converter 3.5 grams/hour. <br>Auto-smoking 6 grams/hour <br>Diesel 14 ton Truck or Bus 36 grams/hour <br>Diesel Truck or Bus 70 grams/hour <br>References: <br>1986 SG Report pgs. 129, 130, 136<br>EPA Report "Technical Data... Commercial Aviation" 09/29/95<br>http://www.burningissues.org/comp-emmis-part-sources.htm |
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