Township Council to Consider Smoking Bans on Public Grounds

Bridgewater Township Council members will consider two versions of a smoking ban at Thursday's meeting, choosing between a ban on smoking on many public properties or a less restrictive ban on smoking on public places where youth activities are being held.

The ordinances fall short of being a complete ban on smoking on municipal property as some towns have done, instead specifying smoking is either not permitted "at an outdoor event at the event located on outdoor municipal property" or banned "on certain municipal properties." 

Councilman Howard Norgalis noted the less-restrictive ban follows a recommendation by the township Health Advisory Board made on Jan. 14. The board dismissed recommending a more global ban, citing the difficulties of enforcing such a ban as well as possible bans for all parks and public spaces under consideration by the legislature.  

Norgalis has been urging the council to take some action on smoking—"Especially where kids are involved," he wrote in an email to the council members—since the township lags current county regulations. He also said his family has been "touched by the scourge of lung cancer." 

Council members will discuss and vote on the introduction of one of the ordinances, and will set a date for a public hearing—or possibly snuff both ordinances and table the consideration.

The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m.