Public Comment
Say No to Ashtrays in Smoke-Free Areas
The Community Environmental Advisory Commission (CEAC) Agenda on Thursday, December 12, 7:00 pm (Tarea Hall Pittman South Branch Library, 1901 Russell St. @ MLK, Berkeley) is pitching more "cigarette butt receptacles", commonly known as ashtrays, in smokefree commercial areas.
Ashtrays are a universal "okay-to-smoke-here" symbol, the opposite of what's needed in smokefree areas currently without signage or sporting contradictory, out-of-date signage which confuses smokers. We worked hard to make sure CEAC's 2017 pilot program was limited to four receptacles outside of the smokefree areas. But this new push not only reflects no historical knowledge of that discussion, it misrepresents Save the Bay as being in favor of ashtrays in our smokefree commercial zones.
Nothing is further from the truth. Save the Bay was horrified when they found out their original outreach, which mostly goes to cities without smokefree public places, was being used to subvert Berkeley's award-winning smokefree objectives, and said so publicly. You will not find their public statements opposing ashtrays in smokefree areas in CEAC's current report.
There are much better ways to address smokefree areas where smokers congregate and litter toxic waste. Signage, education, outreach, and enforcement work. We have seen the positive changes even as youth and communities of color continue to be targeted by Big Tobacco. But Berkeley's robust outreach, signage, and education efforts have foundered since the wonderful Berkeley City College program which accompanied and supported the Public Commons for Everyone ordinance in 2008.
Ashtrays full of toxic butts are not symbol of success in a smokefree area. They are a message to our city to use the fresh signage the city now has in combination with outreach, education, and enforcement to protect the public from deadly secondhand smoke so that we don't lose sight of our goal -healthy, breathable air.
Please write to CEAC (vigarcia@CityofBerkeley.info) and the Berkeley City Council (council@cityofberkeley.info) to support our smokefree commercial zones. We all support keeping butts out of the bay. But educating smokers is the most effective way to address the issue, and we know how.
