St Gallen weighs playground smoking ban to protect children

The city of Chur in southeastern Switzerland has led the way in smoke-free playgrounds; now a similar initiative is gaining ground in St Gallen in the east of the country. A non-partisan initiative recently submitted to the city authorities calls for a ban on smoking in public playgrounds. If the city council had its way, such a ban would already be in place. A year ago, however, the local parliament narrowly voted to remove the smoking ban from police regulations following a heated debate. 'A ban without effect' Opponents argued that it would be ineffective, as enforcement would be almost impossible. With 128 playgrounds across the city, it would be unfeasible to post police officers at each one. Critics said prevention and educational measures would be more effective than a law that is difficult to enforce. Positive results in Chur The city of Chur has been a pioneer in banning smoking in public playgrounds, implementing such a rule 17 years ago. The ban has worked well, says ...