Florida Health Department in Escambia County congratulated the City of Pensacola for making its parks tobacco-free.
Press Release: Tobacco Free Florida in Escambia County congratulates the City of Pensacola on adopting a tobacco-free park ordinance. This new policy will protect our children’s health, support tobacco users who want to quit and keep our community clean.
Tobacco-free spaces support our community in many ways. They improve health by providing fewer opportunities for youth to start smoking, and reduce secondhand smoke exposure.These policies also help lower cigarette litter,[iv] encourage people to make healthy choices and increase quit attempts.
If you’re interested in these benefits for your organization, Tobacco Free Florida can help. Contact Tobacco Free Florida in Escambia County to learn more, at 850-316-2758.
Next Step: Anti-vaping campaign is needed in Escambia County Public Schools, as its use increases in area high schools.
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East Hill Sleigh Ride
Help spread holiday joy throughout the streets of East Hill with the 4th Annual All Vehicle East Hill Sleigh Ride! Decorate your golf cart, car, trailered boat, wagon, trailers, bikes, and scooters for a fun nighttime holiday processional through the neighborhood.
You do not have to live in East Hill to participate, and participation is free; we just ask that participants consider a donation of any amount to either the Gulf Coast Kid’s House or to the GoFundMe set up for the event. All proceeds from the GoFundMe go directly to the Gulf Coast Kid’s House to help abused children. Bikes and scooters will lead the Sleigh Ride behind our police escort to act as pacesetters for the Sleigh Ride.
NO THROWS PLEASE!
Who: YOU!!!
What: East Hill Sleigh Ride
Where: Bayview Park
When: Saturday, Dec.16
Time: Line-up starts at 4:15 pm. The Sleigh Ride starts at 5:30 pm
Why: To spread holiday cheer and raise money for abused children
GoFundMe Link: https://gofund.me/e2fea329
Event Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/818091259256446/
No Smoking: Tobacco Free Florida needs to actually come to Pensacola and see for itself. The state law authorizes local governments to regulate smoking in “any public beaches and public parks that they own.” The Pensacola City Council opted to only have its city law apply “in public parks within the city limits of the City of Pensacola.” It does not apply in public beaches owned by the city or at the city-owned golf course located outside of the city limit. I presume that if anyone ever got a citation at Bruce “Beach” or Sanders “Beach,” their attorney might argue that the law doesn’t apply in public beaches owned by the city. On the upside for smokers and vapers, the law is not enforced. PPD PIO Captain Wood said in a radio interview that the PPD is not going to actively enforce the city law and it does not. I see people smoking in city parks all the time to include when I inspected all of them in August. I live directly across from Eastgate Park. People smoke and vape in the park all the time. I have seen women pushing strollers smoking or vaping. Unbelievable. I saw a man walking his dog as he talked on the phone and he was vaping as his four small children walked behind him. I pick up some cigarette butts every day when I walk my dog. They do stink. I find one or two discarded vaping devices in the park each week or sometimes thrown into the gutter near the park. I also find lighters and alcoholic beverage containers. One city board member did suggest that the city should post signs in city parks to let people know about the city law. The Council opted to go cheap and not post signs. It was a cost-saving move. I recall that a member of Mayor Reeves’ staff said that if people wanted to know about the law, they could find it on the Internet. Pretty sure that few residents let alone tourists would know how to find the city code. People to include tourists and county residents who use city parks just don’t know. One city board member put forward a reasonable theory for the city law saying that PPD would use it as a pretext to stop and search young African-Americans smoking in city parks in the bad parts of town. It is doubtful that PPD would ever bother anyone in Dunwoody Park, etc. As a twist, the state law does appear also to give local governments a power to regulate vaping beyond the boundaries of public beaches and public parks. I wrote the bill sponsor asking about it but he didn’t write back. This city law is a good example of the Council’s ad hoc “Ready, Fire, Aim” method of making laws. This is why Councilwoman Myers and I have said for years that the Council must hire its own city council attorney as directed by the voter-approved city charter. They refuse.