15 November 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The Newton City Commission on Tuesday adopted a policy to prohibit tobacco use in city parks.
A news release sent Wednesday says the policy goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2024. The decision prohibits tobacco use in city-owned recreational outdoor areas, encompassing parks, playgrounds, trails and athletic fields. Sand Creek Golf Station is exempt from the policy.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment will give the city and the health department signs that will be placed in areas to act as a visual reminder of the policy for visitors.
The news release says the Healthy Harvey Coalition asked the Newton High School National Honor Society to conduct environmental scans on March 15 and April 8 to gather data on tobacco litter in city parks. In one park, participants filled a 7-liter bucket with discarded tobacco products in less than one hour.
“The scans were very successful in that they brought awareness to the students participating and to community members that were present at the time of the cleanings,” said Taylor Redington, a Newton High School student that led the scans. “I’ve heard from many of the participants that it was one of their favorite service projects, and they felt that it brought the most amount of direct change to our city.”