Want to ban smoking in public parks? For many cities, the solution is simple — pass a law, install signs, impose fines. Arlington, which has been trying to outlaw smoking in parks since 2008, doesn’t have that luxury, though. Virginia municipalities aren’t allowed to legislate without the express permission of the state, so the county can’t impose penalties for smoking or ban it outright.
Still, there’s nothing stopping county officials from asking smokers to kindly consider putting out their cigarettes when they’re in the park. And that’s exactly what the county board is doing with a campaign started this month to deter smokers solely by suggestion.
The county is installing in 13 parks signs that say, “Please, No Smoking.” The “please” is important, as is the fine print on the sign that specifies that the county is merely asking visitors to refrain from smoking, not forbidding them from lighting up. The project, spearheaded by county board member Walter Tejada, is part of a larger campaign to encourage healthy lifestyles in Arlington.
“We want to do away with smoking in parks on a long-term basis,” he said. “We’re not going to come in and beat you over the head with a hammer about it.”
The county’s no stranger to the power of suggestion. In 2008, the board expressed support for banning smoking in county bars and restaurants, but couldn’t pass an ordinance without state approval. So the county turned to local restaurant owners instead, asking them to consider banning smoking on their own. Many complied, and the state later passed its own smoking ban for all of the state’s restaurants.
“Most of the residents got on board on a voluntary basis. It was nice to see a voluntary effort because we couldn’t legislate,” Tejada said. “Now we’re moving to the next level.”
There’s no word yet on how effective the signs have been, county spokeswoman Diana Sun said. But the county is hoping to raise awareness through the FitArlington campaign and various social media outlets, asking residents to post photos of themselves giving the thumbs up next to the signs on the Parks and Recreation Department’s Facebook page.
“I have heard overwhelmingly strong support for it,” said Tejada, who’s already uploaded a thumbs up photo of himself. “We respectfully accept [residents’] comments. We want to encourage folks to be healthier.”
