York City Council Tuesday night introduced a bill that would prohibit smoking at all city parks. Discussion was put off until a committee meeting next Tuesday, but at least one council member had questions. Council member Cameron Texter wondered if the bill would go too far. "I saw that the indoor smoking we have the ability to control smoking inside our public buildings," he said. But I didn't see any specific language that allows us to to it in the parks."  The city solicitor said "the opinion is that it is constitutional. We wouldn't have put it on the agenda if it weren't."

Residents we talked to said they didn't think it was a good idea. Resident Andrew Turkewitz said it seems silly to worry about smoking outdoors when there are other more important issues. He suggested that if someone is smoking around you at a park and it bothers you, then just walk away.

Such a move is not unprecedented in Pennsylvania. In September of 2006 Harrisburg City Council voted to ban smoking on -all- city owned property, including parks. The police union challenged that decision and the bill failed. Council resurrected the measure in February in the hopes of getting it passed this time around. York residents think the ban on parks goes too far.

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