Editorial: Smoking bans extended

Published on October 09, 2009

Amherst's Board of Health may once again be a trend-setter in protecting the public from the hazards of smoking in places where people congregate.

In the late 1990s, the board came under fire for banning smoking in bars, then a new frontier for government regulation. But it became clear that Amherst was ahead of the rest of the state. In 2004, smoking was banned in all bars, restaurants and workplaces.

Now, the Board of Health is considering a ban on outdoor smoking within 15 feet of town-owned buildings and in public recreation areas. There has also been discussion of a ban at the swimming area at Puffer's Pond in Amherst and at scheduled events on the town common.

We support their efforts. We also believe the board's members are wise to try to craft regulations that distinguish between places where people gather, such as the pond, and where people go for hikes, such as conservation areas.

The percentage of Massachusetts residents who smoke has declined precipitously. It's not clear whether that's because the message that smoking is harmful to health has finally sunk in, because of the high price of tobacco or because of the social opprobrium attached to the habit. More likely, it is some combination.

We've become aware in the last 20 years that smoking is harmful not only to smokers but to those who inhale secondhand smoke. At a time when medical costs are soaring, it remains the single biggest cause of preventable illness.

When residents come to Town Hall to pick up a marriage license, inquire about a property assessment or conduct other public business that can only be done at that location, they shouldn't have to run a gauntlet of smokers.

We also agree with the Board of Health's reluctance to impose a no-smoking buffer zone at buildings where private businesses operate. Such a ban would be difficult to enforce, and customers have choices about where they want to shop. That decision should be up to private property owners.

It also makes sense, as the health board is considering, to ban smoking during large public gatherings on the common, such as the community fair or the Taste of Amherst. But we are not convinced smoking should be prohibited on the commons at all times. Is there harm to others from a lone pedestrian smoking on the common late at night or on a Sunday morning? The health board is wrestling with that question.

Smoking is already banned on the grounds of Amherst's public libraries and at ball fields on school property. The new ban would affect the Mill River and Plum Brook recreation areas and Groff Park.

These are places where young people gather to play baseball, go swimming and swing on swings. If parents indulge their habit there, they are not only exposing children to secondhand smoke, they are conveying the message that smoking is an acceptable activity.

Most people don't want to breathe air that's been contaminated by someone else's cigarette smoke. The Board of Health's proposed regulations are not a radical assault on smokers' rights. The board is merely trying to further protect the health of nonsmokers.