The city of Strasbourg is preparing to ban tobacco in its green spaces, as is already the case in its playgrounds. From January 2019, smokers will incur a fine of 68 euros if they smoke in these areas.
Strasbourg continues its fight against smoking: after having introduced a ban on smoking in playgrounds in 2014, the municipality should vote on June 25 the extent of this measure to all its green spaces, forests and parks included. “Tobacco-free park” signs and ashtrays will be installed in front of each entrance to notify the ban.
If the city is broadening its action plan, it is because the inhabitants are in favor. Indeed, the municipality has already experimented with the concept by subjecting the Citadel Park to this measure, and according to a survey, 71% of non-smokers and 57% of smokers are in favor of the ban on smoking in all areas. city parks.
Residents will be made aware of this ban throughout 2018 thanks to the intervention of mediators sent by the regional health agency (ARS) and volunteers from thea League against cancer, then will incur a fine of 68 euros from January 2019 if they smoke or throw a butt in a green space. “The objective is also environmental”, explains to 20 minutes Christel Kohler, deputy mayor in charge of cities in nature and foster cities. “From an environmental standpoint, cigarette filters thrown into nature take 12 years to decompose and a single butt with its chemical components can pollute up to 500 liters of drinking water “.
@strasbourg will soon propose to the municipal council the generalization of tobacco-free parks with the Tobacco-free spaces label of @laliguecancer pic.twitter.com/lcXOu7Fgr5
– the League against cancer (@laliguecancer) June 21, 2018
“We must stop all exposure”
But the stakes are also health. “Tobacco is a major determinant of health, of course for cancer (…) but also for cardiovascular diseases in general, for respiratory insufficiencies”, points out the deputy mayor in charge of Health, Alexandre Feltz. “We are at too high a rate in France, we are nearly 30% smokers while other countries are 15% or 12%.”
Specifically, the dangers of smoking are present in the short and long term. In the short term, smoking can cause spasms of the arteries, that is, their sudden narrowing, the formation of clots and the appearance of heart rhythm disturbances. These disorders can themselves be responsible for myocardial infarction, stroke or sudden death. In the long term, it is the progressive degradation of the arteries that threatens the smoker. When exposed to other risk factors like excess cholesterol, diabetes or high blood pressure, this phenomenon can be increased.
Tobacco can also be the cause of multiple cancers (lung, throat, mouth, lips, pancreas, kidneys, bladder, uterus, esophagus). But also cardiovascular diseases (myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular accidents, arteritis of the lower limbs, aneurysms, arterial hypertension) and erectile dysfunction.
“To protect yourself from the harmful effects of tobacco, reducing consumption is not sufficient, you must stop all exposure”, insists Professor Daniel Thomas, honorary president of the FFC and vice-president of the Alliance against tobacco. Even passive smoking is a threat to health. It increases the risk of myocardial infarction by 25%. In France, smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death despite everything, with around 73,000 deaths each year.
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