Park and Recreation Commission Packet - May, 25, 2006

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maying TlObacco Free, Tobacco-Freelicies o r- ' Recreation • - s promoteareas • Parks are established to promote healthy activities. The purpose of park areas is to promote community wellness, and tobacco -free policies fit with this idea. • Secondhand smoke harms everyone. Secondhand smoke is a human carcinogen for which there is no safe level of exposure. Exposure to secondhand smoke has immediate health consequenses such as asthma attacks and other res- piratory diseases. • Secondhand smoke is harmful in outdoor settings. Ac- cording to Repace Associates, secondhand smoke levels in outdoor public places can reach levels as high as those found in indoor facilities where smoking is permitted. • Cigarette litter is dangerous. Discarded cigarettes pol- lute the land and water and may be ingested by toddlers, pets, birds or fish. ® Tobacco free policies help change community norms. Tobacco -free policies establish the community norm that tobacco use is not an acceptable behavior for young people or adults within the entire community. Why are Minnesota cities adopting tobacco -free park policies? Most Minnesotans support tobacco free park and rec- reation policies. A 2004 t7niversity of Minnesota survey found that 70% of Minnesota residents support tobacco -free park and recreation areas. In addition, 66% of golfers and 73% of families with children support these policies. .Policies provide consistency among community athletic faci fides and grnups. The majority of community sporting events are held at either city or school district athletic facili- ties, and nearly all school districts prohibit tobacco use on their entire grounds. Also, many community athletic associa- tions have policies but use city recreation facilities and would benefit from a city-wide policy. Policies reduce litter and maintenance costs. In a 2004 survey, 58% of Minnesota park directors in cities with poli- cies reported cleaner park areas. Tobacco free environments promote positive community role modeling and protect the health, safety, and welfare of community members. Association for Nonsmokers --Minnesota 2395 University Ave. West, # 31.0 St. Paul, MN 55114-1512 (651) 646-3005; tfyr@ansrmn.org The Tobacco -Free Youth Recreation Initiative Tobacco -Free Youth Recreation (TFYR) is Minnesota's statewide recreation -based tobacco prevention program that assists recreational groups in promoting healthy tobacco -free lifestyles. TFYR. offers assistance in tobacco -free policy development and implementation and also distributes materials that promote the tobacco -free sports message throughout Minnesota. Policy adoption assistance & FREE signs available through TFYR TFYR offers municipal park & recreation departments teclmi- cal assistance in tobacco -free policy development. To help with policy implementation, TFYR. provides 12" x 18" metal blue & white tobacco -free signs for FREE to Minnesota cities that adopt comprehensive tobacco -free policies for their outdoor recreational facilities (limit 100 per community). To qualify for the signs, the tobacco -free policy • Eden Prairie must include: �Qt<p.FIff }0 1 y ^ • Alexandria • A list of all the facilities it covers. (i • • A statement that all forms of tobacco use 2bbaaco Uso 1s • are prohibited. �'-On ' Nwd Yng America • An enforcement plan that includes xa POS��Aoperty mucro• )E.. Elk River a) community and staff notification; and Owatonna • Anoka County Tobacco -Free Signs b) signage. Contact TFYR staff (see below left) for policy adoption assistance. Once a policy has been adopted in your community, send a copy of the policy and a completed sign order form to TFYR. Download an orderform from our web site at Gwww.ansrmn.org>. Minnesota Cities with Tobacco -Free Outdoor Recreational Facilities • Altkin • Eden Prairie • New Brighton • Alexandria • Edina • New York Mills • Andover • Elbow Lake • Nwd Yng America • Anoka • Elk River Owatonna • Anoka County • Ellsworth • Parkers Prairie • Arden Hills • Eveleth a Pelican Rapids • Aurora • Faribault • Plymouth • Austin • Fayal Township • Prinsburg • Battle Lake • Fergus Falls • Ramsey • Baxter • Golden Valley • Richfield • Blwablk • Grand Rapids Y Robbinsdale • Bloomington • Henning • Rochester • Brainerd • Hermantown • Rock County • Breckenridge • Hibbing • Roseville • Brooklyn Center • Hoyt Lakes • Sartell • Buhl • Int'l Falls • Savage • Callaway a Kent • Shoreview • Champlin La Prairie • Spicer • Cloquet • Luverne St. Cloud • Cohasset • Mahtomedl • St. Paul • Coon Rapids • Maple Grove • Virginia • Crookston • Maplewood • Wheaton • Dassel • Marshall i Williams • Dayton • Mendota Heights • Willmar • Donnelly • Monticello • Wolverton • Duluth • Morris • Zimmerman • Eagan o Mountain Iron 6 Eagle Lake Apr. 2006