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BACKGROUND <br />The Youth Commission has been investigating the City's current smoking restrictions <br />since the beginning of the 2013/2014 school year when the Youth Commission <br />participated in the Alameda County Public Health Department's "Project Teen Friendly ". <br />This project involved surveying the community about tobacco products being sold in <br />local stores, observing how tobacco is being used in Pleasanton, and surveying <br />community opinion about smoking in Pleasanton. <br />In the fall of 2014, the Youth Commission convened a Public Policy Subcommittee <br />comprised of: one (1) appointed member of the Youth Commission and four (4) teen <br />volunteers from the community to continue the work of the Youth Commission regarding <br />tobacco and smoking in the community. <br />The Subcommittee received information from the American Lung Association about how <br />smoking is regulated in Pleasanton compared to other communities. The <br />Subcommittee began to discuss possible changes to the City's Municipal Code <br />regarding smoking. One of their main concerns was smoking in City parks and on City <br />trails. The Youth Commission and Subcommittee were most concerned about negative <br />health effects from second hand smoke exposure, particularly on children, cigarette butt <br />litter and its carcinogenic properties, fire risk from improper cigarette disposal, and that <br />youth and children using parks were being exposed to such health risks. <br />The Youth Commission and other youth volunteers organized and undertook two <br />weekend cigarette butt clean -ups at Ken Mercer Sports Park and Amador Valley <br />Community Park. This enabled them to better quantify the amount of cigarette butt litter <br />and extrapolate the frequency of smoking that occurs in City parks (in addition to their <br />own observations). <br />This proposal was unanimously recommended by the Youth Commission at its regular <br />meeting on May 13, 2015. <br />DISCUSSION <br />With regard to parks and trails, the Pleasanton Municipal Code currently prohibits <br />smoking in: <br />(a) buildings in City parks; and <br />(b) stadiums open to the air in City parks; and <br />State law also prohibits smoking within 25 feet of playground equipment or a tot lot <br />sandbox in a public park.' <br />California Health & Safety Code § 104495. <br />Page 2 of 5 <br />