Tobacco-Free Outdoors

Tobacco Free Parks and Playgrounds

You have most likely seen this little face on billboards across the capital region. Click here for the whole story on the state-wide ad campaign. If your city, town or village does not have tobacco free parks or playgrounds contact us or sign this Declaration of Support to express your commitment to your elected officials!

Who supports tobacco-free parks and playgrounds?

More than 83% of Capital District region residents believe our children should be able to play on public playgrounds that are tobacco-free—including two out of every three current smokers (Based on the Capital District 2011 Community Tobacco Survey)

More than 300 municipalities in New York State have adopted tobacco-free policies for their parks, pools and playgrounds, including several right here in the Capital Region:

• City of Albany (Ordinance)
• City of Cohoes (Resolution)
• City of Schenectady (Ordinance)
• City of Troy (Ordinance)
• City of Watervliet (Resolution)
• Town of Bethlehem (Resolution)
• Town of Colonie
• Town of East Greenbush (Resolution)
• Town of Glenville
• Town of Niskayuna (Ordinance)
• Town of Rotterdam
• Town of Sand Lake (Resolution)
• Village of Green Island (Resolution)
• Village of Nassau (Resolution)
• Village of Scotia
• Village of Voorheesville (Resolution)

What can be done to make parks and playgrounds tobacco-free?

If you and your children would like to help make the parks and playgrounds where you play tobacco-free, join our Smoke-Free Parks & Playgrounds Email Action Team.

The Capital District Tobacco-Free Coalition invites all cities, towns and villages in Albany, Schenectady and Rensselaer counties to participate in Young Lungs at Play, a statewide initiative to eliminate children’s exposure to secondhand smoke at public parks and playgrounds. The Coalition can assist municipalities and parks directors to:

• Develop a local law, ordinance, policy or resolution that prohibits all forms of tobacco use in parks and
  playgrounds or specific areas within the town or village;
• Develop an enforcement plan that includes signage; and/or
• Develop a plan to notify and educate park and playground staff as well as the general public.

For more information or to participate in Young Lungs at Play, contact Theresa Zubretsky at tzubretsky @ setonhealth.org or 459-2388 x 229.

Learn more

• Why Tobacco-Free Parks and Recreation Areas?
• Outdoor Secondhand Tobacco Smoke Fact Sheet
• Capital District Support for Tobacco-free Outdoor Areas
• Model Policy for Tobacco-Free Outdoor Areas
• Organizational Declaration of Support for Young Lungs at Play Initiative
• “Young Lungs at Play: Preventing Children’s Exposure to Secondhand Smoke in Outdoor Play Areas in a Steps to a Healthier NY County”, Preventing Chronic Disease: Public Health Research, Practice and Policy, October 2007