More than 500 municipalities in NYS have made outdoor recreation areas tobacco- and vape-free
Benefits include:
- Protecting park users from the harmful and damaging effects of exposure to secondhand smoke (from tobacco, cannabis, or any other combustible smoking material) and aerosol emissions from electronic devices.
- Reducing tobacco and e-cigarette litter.
- Providing an environment that supports smoke-, vape- and tobacco-free living.
- Being responsive to the majority of NYS residents who support tobacco- and vape-free parks, beaches and playgrounds.
New York Public Health Law prohibits smoking on all public playgrounds
NYS Public Health Law Article 13-E prohibits smoking and vaping of tobacco and cannabis products between sunrise and sunset at all playgrounds in New York when one or more children under age 12 are present. The prominent posting of signage is also required by law to inform and encourage compliance by community members.
Communities can do even more!
Local municipalities have the authority to expand the NYS Public Health Law provisions to include all park property or additional specific areas such as sport fields, swimming pools, and beaches.
How we can help
CDTFC can provide hands-on help to municipalities located in Albany, Rensselaer and Schenectady counties.
- Telephone, email or in-person technical assistance, including presentations or information sessions.
- Sample policies, sample outreach materials, and suggested timelines.
- No-cost tobacco-free signage for parks and other municipal properties.
Who’s tobacco-free in the Capital Region?
Click on the links below to see the specific provisions of local tobacco-free policies in the Capital Region.
- Albany County (Local Law A for 2017)
- City of Albany (Ordinance)
- City of Cohoes (Resolution)
- City of Rensselaer (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 (Ordinance)
- Town of Guilderland (Ordinance)
- Town of Niskayuna (Ordinance)
- Town of Rotterdam (Ordinance)
- Town of Sand Lake (Resolution)
- Village of Altamont (Resolution)
- Village of Green Island (Resolution)
- Village of Menands (Ordinance)
- Village of Nassau (Resolution)
- Village of Scotia (Ordinance)
- Village of Voorheesville (Ordinance)
Your community not listed above?
Whether you’re a local lawmaker or private citizen, we’re here to help. Contact Theresa Zubretsky at Theresa.Zubretsky@sphp.com.
Learn more
To the left is a typical tobacco product display. If you don’t use tobacco, you may not even notice, but kids do. Kids see. Kids notice. Kids remember. In fact, kids are more than twice as likely as adults to notice and remember retail tobacco marketing.
The Food and Drug Administration requires cigarettes to be sold in pack sizes of no less than twenty which keeps the price per pack reasonably high. Other tobacco products (also known as OTPs) are not included in this regulation, leaving products such as cigars, cigarillos, smokeless tobacco, and loose tobacco to be sold at cheaper and more tempting prices such as the products pictured to the left: Swisher Sweets priced at 2 for 99¢ and the Show Cigarillos at 5 for $1.