What other forms of assault have they banned?
On 11/16/06, Victor Bozzo <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Printed from THE DAILY JOURNAL, dtd. 11/15/2006 > > ---------------------------------------------------------- > > Belmont to be first U.S. city to ban all smoking > By Dana Yates, Daily Journal Staff > > > Belmont is set to make history by becoming the first city in the nation to > ban smoking on its streets and almost everywhere else. > The Belmont City Council voted unanimously last night to pursue a strict > law that will prohibit smoking anywhere in the city except for single-family > detached residences. Smoking on the street, in a park and even in one's car > will become illegal and police would have the option of handing out tickets > if they catch someone. > > The actual language of the law still needs to be drafted and will likely > come back to the council either in December or early next year. > > "We have a tremendous opportunity here. We need to pass as stringent a law > as we can, I would like to make it illegal," said Councilman Dave Warden. > "What if every city did this, image how many lives would be saved? If we can > do one little thing here at this level it will matter." > > Armed with growing evidence that second-hand smoke causes negative health > effects, the council chose to pursue the strictest law possible and deal > with any legal challenges later. Last month, the council said it wanted to > pursue a law similar to ones passed in Dublin and the Southern California > city of Calabasas. It took up the cause after a citizen at a senior living > facility requested smoke be declared a public nuisance, allowing him to sue > neighbors who smoke. > > The council was concerned about people smoking in multi-unit residences. > > "I would just like to say 'no smoking' and see what happens and if they do > smoke, [someone] has the right to have the police come and give them a > ticket," said Councilwoman Coralin Feierbach. > > The council's decision garnered applause from about 15 people who showed > up in support of the ordinance. One woman stood up and blew kisses to the > council, another pumped his fist with satisfaction. > > "I'm astounded. I admire their courage and unanimous support," said Serena > Chen, policy director of the American Lung Association of California. > > Chen has worked in this area since 1991 and helped many cities and > counties pass no smoking policies, but not one has been willing to draft a > complete ban. > > "I feel like the revolution is taking place and I am trying to catch up," > Chen told the council. > > The decision puts Belmont on the forefront of smoking policy and it is > already attracting attention from other states. > > "You have the ability to do something a little more extraordinary than > Dublin or Calabasas. I see what they've done as five or six on the Richter > Scale. What the citizens of Belmont, and of America, need is five brave > people to do something that's a seven or eight on the Richter Scale," said > Philip Henry Jarosz of the Condominium Council of Maui. > > "The whole state of Hawaii is watching" he said. > > Councilman Warren Lieberman said he was concerned the city will pass a law > it cannot enforce because residents will still smoke unless police are > specifically called to a situation. Police cannot go out and enforce smoking > rules, he said. > > "It makes us hypocrites by saying you know you can break the law if no one > is watching," Lieberman said. > > However, both Feierbach and Warden argued it is the same as jaywalking, > having a barking dog or going 10 miles over the speed limit. All are > illegal, but seldom enforced. > > "You can't walk down the street with a beer, but you can have a > cigarette," Warden said. "You shouldn't be allowed to do that. I just think > it shouldn't be allowed anywhere except in someone's house. If you want to > do that, that's fine." > > Dana Yates can be reached by e-mail: [EMAIL > PROTECTED]<dana%40smdailyjournal.com>or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 106. > What do you think of this story? Send > a letter to the editor: [EMAIL PROTECTED]<letters%40smdailyjournal.com> > . > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
