The Town of Penfield may soon become the next local municipality to restrict smoking in outdoor locations.
Town supervisor Tony LaFountain says the idea fits in with Penfield’s attempts to brand itself as a wellness community. Residents who have answered an online survey are most interested in keeping playgrounds and areas frequented by children smoke-free.
The proposal would also apply to town-owned parks, trails, athletic fields and entrances to town facilities. “Residents and visitors don't want to be coming in and out into a cloud of smoke," LaFountain said.
A fine for violators is not part of the policy under consideration.
"We'll police ourselves. We're not looking to hire tobacco police and we're not looking to have people arrested,” LaFountain said. “In most cases, if you do the proper education and you have your town staff encourage people who might be smoking not to smoke, then you can have a lot of self-policing and the policy should take care of itself."
He said the restrictions would likely be phased in this year, starting with playgrounds and areas where children gather.
Several other local municipalities have outdoor smoking policies including Henrietta, Ogden, Rush, Brockport, Scottsville and the City of Rochester.