Big Brother Broward Gone Bunkers

Broward moves to deter smoking in public parks

By ERIKA BOLSTAD

ebolstad@herald.com


Dugouts, playgrounds and other places children congregate in Broward County parks will be off-limits to smokers under a new county policy.

County commissioners on Tuesday asked their parks department to develop the policy. It won't be an all-out ban, because it would be difficult to enforce in the county's vast park system.

Instead, parks officials will work to deter smoking where there are children by posting ''no-smoking'' signs.

The county surveyed 24 cities to see how they handle smoking in public. Most merely post signs. About a quarter of the cities have enforcement politices, which range from warning offenders to fining them or forcing them to leave the park.