Smokers in Tonbridge could soon face ban in public parks
SMOKING could be banned in every public park and sports ground in the Tonbridge area.
The Kent Alliance on Smoking and Health wants councils across Kent to stop people from lighting up at venues which are aimed at children and families.
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It means people found smoking at Tonbridge Farm, Tonbridge Racecourse and the neighbouring Haysden Country Park could face on-the-spot fines, and court, for flouting the rules.
The document was backed by Kent County Council this week and Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council said it was "carefully considering" the Kent Tobacco Control Strategy – which aims to have a smoke-free county by 2014.
Borough council chief executive David Hughes told the Courier: "We are very conscious of the need to protect people, especially children, from the harmful effects of smoking.
"We will therefore give careful consideration to all elements of the recently produced report."
Other public areas which would come under the proposed new rules include the recreation ground in Hildenborough and the Swanmead and Frog Bridge sports grounds in Tonbridge.
The prospect of a ban has angered some local people.
Andy Young, who organises the annual Tonbridge Kite Festival on the sports ground, believed the rule would be unenforceable.
He said: "If they bring in a smoking ban, who's going to enforce it? As organiser I'm not going to walk around telling people not to smoke. I don't think it will work because they won't be able to enforce it."
Matthew Meads, landlord of The Flying Dutchman pub in Hildenborough, echoed the sentiments, saying: "If they're going to ban smoking in parks then they'll have to ban it in all public places.
"If they think you're going to blow smoke over someone in a park then what's the difference in the high street?"
The borough council's stance is in line with its pioneering of the Smokefree Homes Award system, introduced in January 2009, in which holders pledge to keep homes and cars free of smoke at all times.
19 Comments
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by Barbara, Recukver
Monday, August 23 2010, 9:00PM
“The council CANNOT ban smoking in the open air as they do not have the legal right to enforce such a ban. The Law requires that smoking is banned in ENCLOSED public areas with no mention of the great outdoors. Only an amendment to the Act by the secretary of State can make smoking outside in a public place illegal.
Any council trying to enforce an outdoor ban in publicly owned grounds would be breaking the Law themselves if they tried to forcibly evict a person who was smoking. This would be common assault. As the parks are publicly owned there is no question of trespass and therefore the police could not be asked to intervene. When will people realise that these stories are just bullying tactics designed to make people believe that councils can make Laws. Only Governments can make Laws and therefore any council trying to ban smoking in the open air of a publicly owned place is acting 'Ultra Vires'”
by Nitro, Uk
Monday, August 23 2010, 8:55PM
“The Kent Alliance on Smoking and Health are an unelected body that are not accountable to the general public.
Borough council chief executive David Hughes is being led by the nose by this bunch of social engineers and should know better.
The challange for the Kent Alliance on Smoking and Health to provide some factual statistics, maybe they can start by naming a handfull of people who have met their demise by SHS. The government and the RCP cannot.
Its about time that the true facts are given to the public and the paid scaremongers and social engineers are sacked, hopefully all at the Kent Alliance will be included.”
by Pete, Uk
Monday, August 23 2010, 8:54PM
“The Kent Alliance on Smoking and Health are an unelected body that are not accountable to the general public.
Borough council chief executive David Hughes is being led by the nose by this bunch of social engineers and should know better.
The challange for the Kent Alliance on Smoking and Health to provide some factual statistics, maybe they can start by naming a handfull of people who have met their demise by SHS. The government and the RCP cannot.
Its about time that the true facts are given to the public and the paid scaremongers and social engineers are sacked, hopefully all at the Kent Alliance will be included.”
by Vellocatus, UK
Monday, August 23 2010, 6:02PM
“The righteous are constantly passing off propaganda as truth (either naively, negligently or maliciously) in order to frighten people into compliance with their demands and coerce them to accept their anti-freedom measures such as is proposed above.
For the record;
There are dozens of studies into the effects of ETS (at least 100). For every study that shows passive smoking (ETS) as harmful, there are around FIVE that show it to be either BENEFICIAL or have NO EFFECT one way or the other!
ETS is as good as harmless to children, in fact the majority of research evidence shows it is more often BENEFICIAL to them; for instance the Largest European WHO study (Boffetta et al) proved by their standards, that ETS prevented children from getting cancer later in life.
There is some evidence that ETS along with many other irritants, can trigger asthma attacks or glue ear in children - BUT - ETS can prevent child asthma in the first place (Hjern et al). Many explain this under the ¿Hygiene Hypothesis¿ (google it) or the same reasons we vaccinate people with sometimes deadly, but attenuated viruses to produce immunity to disease. To corroborate this, use some common sense - As smoking prevalence has declined - child asthma has increased 'manifold'.
This short video outlines the way the research into ETS has been corrupted;
h**p://www.dailymotion.com/video/xdhzk1_the-anti_tech
To find out more, vist;
h**p://fightingback.homestead.com/
(** = tt)
Don't allow this agenda driven anti-smoker campaign to frighten the living daylights out of you!”
by Vellocatus, UK
Monday, August 23 2010, 5:51PM
“The righteous are constantly passing off propaganda as truth (either naively, negligently or maliciously) in order to frighten people into compliance with their demands and coerce them to accept their anti-freedom measures such as is proposed above.
For the record;
There are dozens of studies into the effects of ETS (at least 100). For every study that shows passive smoking (ETS) as harmful, there are around FIVE that show it to be either BENEFICIAL or have NO EFFECT one way or the other!
ETS is as good as harmless to children, in fact the majority of research evidence shows it is more often BENEFICIAL to them; for instance the Largest European WHO study (Boffetta et al) proved by their standards, that ETS prevented children from getting cancer later in life.
There is some evidence that ETS along with many other irritants, can trigger asthma attacks or glue ear in children - BUT - ETS can prevent child asthma in the first place (Hjern et al). Many explain this under the ¿Hygiene Hypothesis¿ (google it) or the same reasons we vaccinate people with sometimes deadly, but attenuated viruses to produce immunity to disease. To corroborate this, use some common sense - As smoking prevalence has declined - child asthma has increased 'manifold'.
This short video outlines the way the research into ETS has been corrupted;
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xdhzk1_the-anti_tech
To find out more, vist;
http://fightingback.homestead.com/
Don't allow this agenda driven anti-smoker campaign to frighten the living daylights out of you!”