On April 27, 2014 the Fairfax County Park Authority Board established Tobacco-Free Play Zones for athletic fields, playgrounds, and skate parks, and agreed to post signage notifying the public of this new designation and thanking residents for their voluntary cooperation. This initiative will help parks remain clean and safe outdoor environments for children and their families as they recreate. Funding for the signs was provided by the Live Healthy Fairfax initiative sponsored by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Community Transformation Grant.
The county does not have authority to prohibit smoking in public parks. The Park Authority has taken a first step in this arena by requesting voluntary compliance to bring awareness to the issue and to begin to address the impacts of tobacco on community health. We anticipate the sign will have the same intended effect, while not raising concerns that a park visitor would claim the county is exceeding the scope of its authority.
