Politics & Government

Smoke-Free Santee Parks Hits the Mainstage

Show support and learn more about the push to ban smoking in Santee city parks at a forum on Wednesday.

The "" will be held at Wednesday starting at 7 p.m., a community forum meant to drum up support for an ordinance that would ban smoking in Santee city parks.

Santee is the only city in San Diego County that allows cigarette smoking in city parks.

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Councilmembers and will be in attendence, along with representatives from the American Heart Association, American Lung Association, American Cancer Society, , Santee Collaborative, and Health and Human Service Agency.

Local father and , arranged the event, and has been promoting the idea of a smoking ban at Santee parks with blogs, , signature gathering and more, since in an annual report released by the American Lung Association in January.

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"Do you want our city parks to be smoke free? Please come out and show your support at this event," Spencer wrote in publicizing the forum.

"A strong show of support will show that this is something the needs to take a look at."

Guest speakers will include Dr. Philip Szold, of La Mesa Pediatrics, Alicia Sampson, Epidemiologist with the County of San Diego and Michael Sawdy, with the School of Public Health SDSU.

Before the forum, adults and kids are encouraged to make posters in the theme of "Smoke-free Parks," and attendees will be given a chance to share what they think about smoking in Santee parks.

The issue has raised debate about two high tension topics, "smokers' rights" versus the "right to clean air" outdoors. A Santee Patch currently shows 57 percent support for a ban.


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