As a mother of three children and a Buena Park resident, I would like to thank the Buena Park City Council for supporting smoke-free parks in our community. My house is located across the street from Bellis Park and Gilbert Elementary, so whether I’m taking my kids to the playground, taking my dog for a walk or just enjoying the fresh air, smoking in parks affects my family on a daily basis.
As a mother of three children and a Buena Park resident, I would like to thank the Buena Park City Council for supporting smoke-free parks in our community. My house is located across the street from Bellis Park and Gilbert Elementary, so whether I’m taking my kids to the playground, taking my dog for a walk or just enjoying the fresh air, smoking in parks affects my family on a daily basis.
A place where children and families go to exercise and stay healthy and active is not a place where we should have to worry about being exposed to the deadly, unnecessary health risks of secondhand smoke. Often times in the past, I would have to walk through clouds of smoke with my kids and dog while strolling through Bellis Park.
I would immediately begin coughing because of the smoke and have to adjust where we could and could not walk to avoid it. There is a wonderful dog park that we love to bring Maxx to play and socialize with other dogs but many times we would have to skip the dog park because of people smoking.
This new policy will ensure we can enjoy all parts of the park without having to worry about our health. Unfortunately, both sides of my family have been affected by tobacco-related diseases so I’m very aware of the harms associated with tobacco smoke.
Cancer, heart disease, and stroke are all things no family wants a doctor to say but are real consequences of tobacco-use and secondhand smoke exposure. This is my family’s reality and I would not wish this on anyone. As the American Lung Association in California says, when you can’t breathe, nothing else matters. Any way our city can help eliminate these health concerns in public places is okay by me. We all deserve fresh, healthy air.
My support for smoke-free parks goes far beyond my own family. I currently serve on the Board of Directors for the Buena Park National Little League. As a board member, I represent the well-being of over 200 kids and their families during our 5 month season. Our goal is provide a safe, secure environment for kids to participate in America’s favorite pastime.
We host many teams from surrounding areas including La Palma. La Palma has had a smoke-free parks policy for many years. I’m happy that Buena Park is “stepping up its game” and can now host visiting teams with the same accommodations as other cities have provided us for years.
Now I can safely say that these children can all breathe a little easier as they round the bases on their way to home. I’m looking forward to enjoying a baseball season full of excitement, homeruns and high-fives not one filled with smoky bleachers. Thank you for not smoking in Buena Park’s beautiful parks.
