Lincoln parks go tobacco-free

[November 20, 2013]  The city of Lincoln passed a tobacco-free parks policy on Aug. 19. Under the new policy, all city-owned parks, park facilities and open space are tobacco-free except within the confines of a vehicle in a designated parking area. Signage will be posted in all tobacco-free areas.

The Logan County Department of Public Health received a "We Choose Health" grant in 2012 with a focus on creating policies for smoke-free public places. The health department has been working with the city of Lincoln over the past year to create and pass this policy.

Parks and playgrounds are established to promote healthy activities, and secondhand smoke is a cancer-causing agent for which there is no safe level of exposure. In children, secondhand smoke causes ear infections, more frequent and severe asthma attacks, coughing, sneezing, shortness of breath, bronchitis, pneumonia, and increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome.

To celebrate making our community a healthier place to live, the public is invited to join Mayor Keith Snyder and other dignitaries for the unveiling of the "tobacco-free" signs at Postville Park, Fifth and Washington streets, at noon Thursday.

[Text from file received from the Logan County Department of Public Health]