For Immediate Release: Tuesday, July 12, 2011
ROCKVILLE, Md., July 12, 2011—The Montgomery County Council today unanimously approved a Board of Health regulation that will prohibit smoking in certain common areas of multiple-family residential dwellings and certain playgrounds relating to those dwellings. An amendment added to the bill today will ban smoking within 25 feet of playground areas on privately owned property that has a primary purpose to serve the residents of more then one dwelling.
The chief sponsor of the smoking ban smoking was Councilmember George Leventhal, who chairs the Council’s Health and Human Services Committee. Council Vice President Roger Berliner was a co-sponsor.
The ban, which will go into effect on Aug. 12, got momentum from studies that have looked at the impact of secondhand smoke. The regulation would prohibit smoking in indoor common areas of multi-family dwellings, including hallways, lobbies and laundry rooms.
“This regulation will not deny anyone their rights, but it will protect the rights of people who do not want to be impacted by second-hand smoke—particularly children,” said Councilmember Leventhal. “People who live in multi-family communities do not have the choice to easily avoid the second-hand smoke created by others. Now those who want to avoid smoke in the common areas of the place they live will be able to do so.”
The regulation, in addition to addressing public common areas of multi-family residences, was expanded to include areas within 25 feet of playground areas of privately owned properties. This could include playground areas of townhouse communities and subdivisions communities of single-family homes that have common playground areas.
The regulation would not apply to homeowners with playground equipment in their private yard. A playground area is defined as any outdoor area with playground equipment intended to be used by minors, including swing sets, sandboxes, slides, seesaws and playhouses.
# # # #
Release ID: 11-162
Media Contact: Neil Greenberger 240-777-7939, Delphine Harriston 240-777-7931