Smokers will now have to refrain from lighting up at City Plaza or risk a citation.
The Chico City Council voted 5-0 on Oct. 20 to make City Plaza and the sidewalks around it smoke-free.
The issue was addressed because of a recommendation by the Bidwell Park and Playground Commission, Downtown Chico Business Association and the American Lung Association.
The vote was not taken until Mayor Ann Schwab and council member Larry Wahl excused themselves from the meeting. Both own a business 500 feet from the City Plaza and excused themselves from the deliberations so there would not be a conflict of interest.
Concerns were raised after people started noticing how bad smoking was during the local concerts and how much cigarette litter was left after concerts ended, said Christina Craven, a health educator for the American Lung Association.
“People would complain about the drifting secondhand smoke from people smoking near by,” Craven said. “They felt it was detracting from their experience at the concert.”
With much of the community rallying behind the ban — 300 petition signatures in support of a smoke-free plaza, endorsements from groups, local businesses and the police department — supporters were able to put together a proposal, Craven said.
Junior Andre Byik is unsure how successful the ordinance will be, but does not have a problem with it as a smoker.
“Just because a ban passes does not mean it will automatically be successful,” Byik said. “Smokers will still smoke but there is a balance between freedom and common decency.”
Byik does not have an issue with the new ordinance that will take affect.
“I don’t have a problem with it because it’s not the healthiest habit,” he said.
The 18 to 24-year-old group continues to have the highest smoking rate of any age group, according to the California Department of Health Services’ Tobacco Control Section studies.
Shelly Brantley, the project director for the ALA, thinks secondhand smoke in outside venues is a health hazard and there are a lot of factors on why young adults, including students, start smoking.
“It is a time of exploration typically and when they are away from home for the first time and in new peer groups, they try new things,” Brantley said. “This could be something that they try and don’t realize how addictive it is since it doesn’t take too many cigarettes to get hooked.”
The association wants to protect families, seniors, people who go to outdoor events or to concerts that the city puts on and ensure all people can attend these events and enjoy them equally, she said.
Julia Vazquez can be reached at
jvazquez@theorion.com
