Rockville Installs “No Smoking or Vaping” Signs at Area Parks (PHOTO & VIDEO)

PHOTO | City of Rockville

Rockville city officials are installing “no smoking or vaping” signs at area parks and facilities.

You may remember that last October the Mayor and Council voted unanimously to expand the city’s smoke-free area rules to include all city property, city facilities and city parks. The new rules go into effect on March 1.

According to a city news release, expanding Rockville’s smoke-free area rules means that areas such as the plaza in Rockville Town Square (a city-owned park) would be smoke-free. Privately-owned outdoor restaurant dining areas adjacent to Town Square and throughout Rockville would not be affected.

Enforcement of the smoke-free area will be complaint-driven. Complaints may be directed to Montgomery County’s Department of Health and Human Services, the agency tasked with monitoring the smoke-free area rules.

Rockville’s existing smoke-free rules include no smoking at several outdoor locations on city property, such as the:

• Outdoor complex at the Swim and Fitness Center.
• Dog park at Mattie J.T. Stepanek Park in King Farm and its nearby playing fields.
• Area within 50 feet of entrances to community centers and within 40 feet of playground equipment in city parks.

The Mayor and Council’s action followed a unanimous recommendation by the Recreation and Parks Advisory Board that all city parks and facilities be smoke-free.

For more on the change, including a list of city parks, centers and facilities that will be smoke-free by March 1, view item 19 in the Oct. 19 Mayor and Council meeting agenda at www.rockvillemd.gov/agendacenter.

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