Davis votes to enact outdoor smoking ban

By Joseph M. Dougherty
Deseret Morning News
Published: Thursday, June 14, 2007 12:04 a.m. MDT
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FARMINGTON — Davis County thanks you for not smoking indoors, but come January, it will thank you for refraining from smoking outside in public places, too.

The Davis County Board of Health on Tuesday unanimously enacted a regulation that bans smoking at publicly or privately owned parks, playgrounds, sports fields, amusement parks, swimming pools, boweries, concession stands, public gardens, cemeteries, walking or running trails, skate parks and most parts of golf courses. Smoking will still be allowed on golf fairways.

"I think this was a good move," said Davis County Health Department director Lewis Garrett. "It protects the public's health."

The regulation provides for the creation of designated smoking areas in outdoor public places, for which business owners may apply to the Davis County Health Department.

The draft regulation stated that the minimum distance a designated smoking area could be from any outdoor place where people gather was 25 feet, but board of health members voted to increase the distance to 50 feet.

Garrett said Clinton city manager Dennis Cluff sent him a letter to urge the change from 25 to 50 feet. Clinton, the first city in the state to impose an outdoor smoking ban in 2003, has a 50-foot rule.

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"We found from experience that 25 feet is not very far," Cluff said Tuesday. "The smell of smoke and the abundance of smoke if there's a light breeze, particularly if you're downwind, is still there."

Salt Lake City, Tooele, Sandy and Logan have also set up outdoor smoking restrictions.

The Davis County regulation, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2008, will apply to all 15 cities in the county. "No Smoking" signs, which are required for every outdoor public place, don't have to be posted until June 1, 2009.

Garrett said he plans to apply for grants to help the health department and cities purchase signs, which he estimates will cost around $30,000.

During the public comment period for the regulation, the health department received a handful of comments, most of which were positive, Garrett told the board.

Once the rule takes effect, anyone convicted of violating it is guilty of a class B misdemeanor, and a $25 fine is recommended. Subsequent offenses within a two-year period carry a recommended $100 fine.

The regulation can be viewed online at www.daviscountyutah.gov/health.

E-mail: jdougherty@desnews.com

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