Commission OKs tobacco-free parks push

City commissioners unanimously voted to seek more information about a possible ban on tobacco in children’s areas in parks.

The Florida Department of Health is pushing a statewide campaign to create tobacco-free parks. Its goal is to increase to 10% the number of Florida parks that ban all kinds of tobacco use.

Sarasota County adopted a beach-smoking ban three years ago, and so far in 2010, it has issued 21 citations for smoking on the beach. The city created its own beach-smoking ban last year.

Contact Robin Roy at [email protected].