Dateline: September 23, 2008, Colchester, CT
At the recommendation of the Parks and Recreation Commission (PRC), the Colchester Board of Selectmen (BoS) formally adopted a policy during its September 18 meeting to ban smoking at the Colchester Recreation Complex. The policy, which will take effect October 1, 2008, applies to all grounds at the park including the adjacent parking lots.
The goal of the policy is to create a smoke-free area for children and park-goers in general, as the Recreation Complex is a place where healthy lifestyles are modeled.
The PRC has been examining the issue for some time, including studying options such as creating a designated smoking area at the park. However, in the end, it was determined that the best way to achieve the goal of the policy is for a complete ban.
The original request to the BoS sought to apply this policy to all town parks and grounds, which would include areas such as the Town Green, Cohen Woodlands and Town Hall grounds. This would be comparable to the situation at the schools, where smoking anywhere on school property is prohibited by State law. Instead, the BoS chose to implement the new program solely at the Recreation Complex and study the impact before considering a larger implementation.
Along with press releases and communication to groups that regularly use the park, the Parks and Recreation Department will be installing signage at the park to alert users to the new policy.
** Smoking is also prohibited on all Cragin Memorial Library grounds.
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