HARRISBURG, Pa. — State officials announced Friday that all forms of tobacco and smoking have been banned at playground facilities in Pennsylvania's 121 state parks.
The new regulations were announced in a press release by Conservation and National Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn and Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine.
Under the new rules, all forms of tobacco, vaping, and e-cigarettes will no longer be permitted within 30 feet of all state park playgrounds.
The rules were implemented as part of the Pennsylvania Department of Health's "Young Lungs at Play" program, Dunn said.
“Directly in line with our parks’ mission of promoting healthy lifestyles, their playgrounds join the growing number of county, borough and township park facilities that embrace the ‘Young Lungs at Play’ program and now forbid tobacco use,” Dunn said. “Our children should be guaranteed the right to play in clean air and healthy areas that are free of secondhand smoke.”
The ban eliminates children's exposure to secondhand smoke at 135 playground locations. Notification signs about the new regulations will be installed by Memorial Day, state officials said.
“Adding our beloved and beautiful state park playgrounds to our ‘Young Lungs at Play’ program is another collaborative effort by the Wolf Administration to protect the health of Pennsylvanians,” Levine said. “We are proud to work with DCNR on this effort to reduce the exposure to secondhand smoke for children. The department is committed to promoting healthy behaviors, and that starts with our children and protecting them from potentially harmful exposures, such as secondhand smoke.”
The United States Surgeon General estimates secondhand smoke exposure contributes to approximately 41,000 deaths among non-smoking adults, and 400 deaths in infants each year. Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at an increased risk for respiratory infections, middle ear disease, severe asthma and slowed lung growth.
In a related move, responding to visitor requests and support, DCNR in prior years has implemented smoking controls at 44 of its 54 swimming beaches at state parks throughout the state. Smoking is not permitted at state park pools.
