KYLE MCCASKEY
Harvey County PIO
NEWTON, Kan. — The Newton City Commission approved a policy at its meeting this past Tuesday that will prohibit tobacco use in city parks, a measure supported by the Harvey County Health Department and Healthy Harvey Coalition.
The Tobacco-Free Parks policy will be effective Jan. 1, 2024. The decision prohibits tobacco use in city-owned recreational outdoor areas, encompassing parks, playgrounds, trails and athletic fields. Sand Creek Golf Station is exempt from the policy.
The City of Newton and Health Department will receive free signs from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment that will be strategically placed in affected areas to act as a visual reminder of the policy for visitors.
The Healthy Harvey Coalition asked the Newton High School National Honor Society to conduct environmental scans on March 15 and April 8 to gather data on tobacco litter in city parks. In one park, participants filled a 7-liter bucket with discarded tobacco products in less than one hour.
“The scans were very successful in that they brought awareness to the students participating and to community members that were present at the time of the cleanings,” said Taylor Redington, a Newton High School student that led the scans. “I’ve heard from many of the participants that it was one of their favorite service projects, and they felt that it brought the most amount of direct change to our city.”
Previously, the Healthy Harvey Coalition helped encourage the City of Hesston to adopt policy to make its parks tobacco-free, as well as aiding the City of Newton in passing an ordinance in 2019 to bump the age for purchasing tobacco products to 21.
The Healthy Harvey Coalition includes a Tobacco-Free Harvey subgroup that meets monthly to identify ongoing challenges and opportunities related to tobacco use in communities.
“Newton’s embrace of a tobacco-free policy marks a commendable step toward a healthier, cleaner and more vibrant community, showcasing the collective dedication to the wellbeing of its residents,” said Aline Albrecht, chronic disease risk reduction coordinator for the Harvey County Health Department.
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