Smoking banned from New York public spaces

New York: Smokers not welcome (Photo courtesy of Smokers Blog)

Smoking has been banned from New York City parks and beaches; creating an outdoor smoking ban which is enforced by park officials and people caught lighting up in these areas can face a fine of $50. New York City health officials hope to discourage smoking in the future generations of consumers, sending a message that smoking in family friendly areas is unacceptable. While this may promote healthy communities, will this leave public spaces empty or create more attractive places?

Smoking ban notice (photo courtesy of NYC parks)

Smoking being banned in public places eliminates the social aspect of the activity, especially in a country like New Zealand that has a ban on smoking in public buildings. "The new smoking ban is a quality of life rule that is primarily self-enforcing," a Parks Department spokeswoman said in a statement Tuesday. "We're counting on all New Yorkers to comply” hoping that the non-smoking public will also put pressure on those breaking the rule. Public policing is one of the main ways to maintain a level of order within society as members of the public often criticise and isolate those that do not comply.

The New York Mayor says there are compelling reasons for banning smoking in some outdoor areas, such as children's play parks, as a means of shifting long-term attitudes. The ban comes as a push towards healthier lifestyles and a means to changing many people’s attitudes as it is no longer considered an activity to undertake in social environments such as public spaces. The concern I have with this ban is will it push people away from using public spaces as they cannot smoke there? When looking at the ban on smoking in public restaurants and bars in New Zealand, it did not stop people using these facilities it simply meant they had to adapt their smoking habit around these places. So this may create a shift to change people’s smoking habits as they can no longer smoke in public parks and beaches.

Children and young people were concerned that parents who smoke may no longer take their children to the play parks if they are not allowed to smoke. Parents should not smoke around their children anyway, and isolating activities due to the need for smoking seems ridiculous in this society. Children should not be inhibited by their parents need to smoke. I think the ban in New York had the intentions of creating healthier and more attractive environments while creating a negative social connotation of smokers who are no longer allowed to affect others by their habits.

Time Square smoking ban sign (Photo Courtesy of Google Images).

It already has happened in the UK, Glasgow and the north-west of England have a number of parks that have gone smoke-free. Will the smoking ban catch on in the rest of the world, just like the ban on smoking in public restaurants and bars did.

I think that public spaces will still be utilised even though a portion of the population can no longer carry out an activity in these areas. I think they will still be utilised as smoking is not an activity that public spaces are design around. Smoking actually leaves public spaces dirty and full of cigarette butts, which is not ideal to a clean and attractive space. So this ban will be for the better creating well-integrated communities that will attract more people into public space as the smell and dirt of smoking will no longer inhabit these spaces.

I think New Zealand needs to take the initiative and create a smoking ban in all our public parks and beaches as our environment is being damaged by cigarette butts, as it is not hard to find cigarette butts in the sand at the beach or on the pavement in a park. We pride ourselves on our natural environments, so why should we let a small minority of the population ruin the enjoyment for everyone? Public space should be smoke free.