Picture Rocks’ parks now tobacco -free
Ju l y 3 1, 20 1 4
By NICO SALVATORI (nsalvatori@sungazette.com) , Williamsport Sun-Gazette
PICTURE ROCKS - To reduce the harm of secondhand smoke in its parks, the borough recently
joined an increasingly popular trend.
In early July, borough council enacted a resolution to join Young Lungs At Play - an initiative of the
state Department of Health to create tobacco-free parks, playgrounds and recreational areas for
children.
Council President Gene Otterbein said it was an easy decision to become the latest community in the
county to display signs in its parks designating tobacco-free areas.
Article Photos
NICO?SALVATORI/Sun-Gazette
Picture Rocks recently joined the statewide Young Lungs at Play program, which provides signage to designate tobacco-free areas
in parks, playgrounds and recreational areas for children. Back row, from left, Tristen Dorman, Bill Dorman, Picture Rocks
borough secretary; Jenny Wagner, secretary for the North Central Tobacco Control Coalition; Kali Hopfer; David Hopfer; Gene
Otterbein, council president; and Arizona Ledford. Front row, from left, Brooke Dorman, MaKenna Dorman, Ryan Dorman and
Jace Ledford.
"The children of today are our leaders of tomorrow," Otterbein said. "If we, as the leaders of today,
can provide a safe, healthy, nurturing environment for our children to grow up in, we can go a long
way in assuring the quality of life for the future."
On Wednesday, the borough received 15 signs from the North Central Tobacco Control Coalition to
split across the Van Rennsselaer Park and Rocks Park.
The former will see those signs placed around the basketball, volleyball and bocce ball courts, as well
as around the dugouts and grandstand on the baseball field. Signs also will be placed at the
playground, including the one next to the George A. Ferrell Elementary School, according to
Otterbein.
Otterbein found out about the program from Montoursville Mayor John Dorin. Montoursville joined
the program earlier this year.
Word of mouth is crucial to sending the message of tobacco-free parks, according to Jenny Wagner,
secretary of the North Central Tobacco Control Coalition.
She said the program is building momentum again after something of a blitz.
Recently, the Susquehanna Park at Bowman Field, home of the Williamsport Crosscutters, joined
Young Lungs At Play.
In May, the city of Williamsport enacted the same resolution. The city's parks and playgrounds
where children are present will be designated as tobacco free in the near future, according to City
Councilman N. Clifford "Skip" Smith, who is chairman of the city public safety committee.
Exactly where those signs will be displayed won't be announced until Aug. 5 at the earliest, during a
meeting of the city public works committee, Smith said.
Loyalsock Township, Montgomery and the Williamsport YWCA also have joined the program.
Wagner is hopeful that some areas in Bradford and Potter counties soon will join the program.
According to the American Cancer Society, secondhand smoke is responsible for 42,000 deaths from
heart disease in non-smokers annually in the United States, and it puts children at a higher risk of
being placed into intensive care when they have the flu. It also exacerbates asthma in up to 1 million
children with the disease.
Secondhand smoke also takes an economic toll on the country. The costs of extra medical care,
illness and death caused by it are over $10 billion per year, according to the society.