City amends tobacco legislation

The city of Avon Lake took the first steps toward modifying its tobacco policies Dec. 18 in amending the city’s definition of tobacco.

Avon Lake City Council granted approval to an ordinance that updates smoking policies for city buildings.

In the first update since 1994, the city added cigars, pipes, bidis, clove cigarettes, spit tobacco and electronic cigarettes to the list of prohibited products.

“When this was originally passed, this legislation in 1994, it only included tobacco and it was also passed at a time when you could smoke in planes, smoke in buildings, restaurants and everywhere else,” said Council Safety Committee Chairman David Kos. “As we become more health conscious and aware of the problems associated with smoking, we realize that it’s not just tobacco smoke that is an issue, and that’s why the additional language was added to this legislation.”

Kos said he looks forward to discussing a more wide-ranged plan in 2018 to reduce smoking on more of Avon Lake’s city properties.

The update follows up on a Nov. 20 work session in which Council expressed broad support for pursuing an expanded ordinance to include city parks, beaches and athletic fields in prohibiting smoking.

At the time, Mayor Greg Zilka expressed support for the initiative, but suggested the city take a more gradual approach allowing it to phase in a citywide smoke-free policy to allow time to develop public awareness.

“If you have a policy, these people can be approached and informed of a policy and that might be a good approach for a transition,” Zilka said Nov. 20. “Phasing in the new rules and regulations might be a better way to achieve success.”

A presentation from Erin Murphy, a program manager with the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Department of the Lorain County General Health District, cited statistics outlining Ohio’s poor performance on a national scale.

Ohio ranks 49th in children exposed to second hand smoke and 43rd in the percentage of adult smokers, Murphy said.

In addition, the statistics showed much room for improvement where the state ranked 33rd nationally for youth tobacco use and 37th in tobacco prevention spending, she said.

If Council passes legislation, Avon Lake would become the second Lorain County municipality, behind Oberlin, to take action with an ordinance.

According to the Health district, the city of North Ridgeville, most school districts and Lorain’s Lakeview Park maintain tobacco free policies.