CLEARFIELD – Fresh air will be even sweeter in Clearfield Borough parks.
At Thursday’s work session, Christy Steele spoke to the Clearfield Borough Council about the “Young Lungs at Play” initiative.
At previous meetings, the council discussed the possibility of posting “No Smoking” signs in the borough’s parks. Borough Operations Manager Leslie Stott said there had been a lot of concern about smoking in parks.
Steele said the borough would need to pass a resolution and the signs can be provided free of cost through the Young Lungs at Play program. She said the only downside is that it may take time for the signs to come due to backlogs in orders.
Steele said the program is a state-wide program to prevent exposure to second-hand smoke. She said the program also cuts down on litter from cigarette butts being discarded in the parks. Steele said the cigarette butts are not biodegradable.
She said the program includes all tobacco products, including smokeless tobacco. She said there are concerns with the spitting of smokeless tobacco products and that animals or small children can eat the left-over smokeless tobacco and become sick.
Council Member Jim Kling asked if the borough had adopted a resolution to make the parks tobacco free. Solicitor F. Cortez Bell said that the borough had adopted a tobacco-free policy for borough-owned buildings and vehicles, but in order to participate in the program, the council would have to adopt a resolution.
According to its Web site, Young Lungs at Play is a program aimed to help communities create tobacco-free parks, playgrounds and recreational areas for children. Many Pennsylvania communities have adopted outdoor tobacco-free policies at parks, zoos, athletic fields, playgrounds, trails and even city sidewalks and streets to help protect both children and the environment.