It's an issue being looked at in several cities across the state. The limiting, or full on prohibition of smoking in public area's, and Chico is no exception. "The City Council received a request from the American Lung Association to look at a citywide prohibition. A ban on smoking," according to Chico Parks and Natural Resources Manager Dan Efseaff.
Council members then began to collect information from multiple departments throughout the city in order to make an informed decision. The Chico Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Chico Business Association, and Bidwell Park and Playground Commission were all asked for a recommendation regarding their area's. Efseaff says as far as the parks go "it's definitely a policy question. So, we left that for the commission to come up with, and they sided 7-0 to support a prohibition."
That news caught many off guard, including Bidwell Golf Course General Manager Courtney Foster. "For a lot of people smoking is part of the game of golf. Golf is a stressful game. So, they play a little golf, have a little smoke. Some enjoy a cigar every now and then during a round."
Foster told our crews the course is already at a disadvantage since they aren't permitted to serve alcohol. He says a prohibition on smoking would make that disadvantage even worse. "We're one of the few facilities in the United States that doesn't have alcohol, and it does affect play quite a bit. So, smoking would do the same thing."
For now, the park prohibition is only a suggestion for the City Council Internal Affairs Committee to consider, and Efseaff says it's to early to tell what the result will be in the end. "There's a lot of questions still to go, and that's when the internal affairs is going to have to sort through it, and figure out what the next step might be."
