Tobacco use banned on most county property

Tobacco use is no longer allowed on the majority of Steele County property. The exception is designated smoking areas in county parks and on the Steele County Free Fairgrounds.
The Steele County Board of Commissioners adopted the policy during its regular meeting March 17.

A draft was presented to the board dur- ing the Committee of the Whole meeting early in the afternoon. The tobacco-free policy presented prohibits the sale and use of tobacco products and electronic- delivery devices, such as e-cigarettes, on all county property.
The county is providing a policy that is a best practice in the public health world, Steele County Public Health Educator Jane Nyquist said.
“We are hoping you would want to adopt a comprehensive best practical policy,” she told the board.
The policy states that tobacco use is a major cause of preventable disease and death. Smoking, other tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke have been found to cause heart disease, can- cer, asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory problems, policy proponents said. Nyquist mentioned several surveys during the report. One included a 2006 Surgeon General’s study that says there are no safe levels of secondhand smoke. Another study that same year found that 54 percent of smokers who were trying to quit said that seeing someone with a cigarette triggered a relapse, Nyquist said.

It is estimated that at least 18 counties in Minnesota have some sort of comprehensive plan. Nyquist said she has not heard anything negative about the plans in place in other counties. Commissioner James “Corky” Ebeling said he was only in favor of the pol- icy if the county parks and fairgrounds are excluded.

“Let them create their own policy, then I would be in favor of it,” Ebeling said.
Earlier in March, the Steele County Free Fair Board made a recommendation to the county to allow smoking (including the use of electronic cigarettes) only in designated areas during the Steele County Free Fair.
If the county board accepts or approves the recommendation, the fair board will identify two or three areas where smok- ing would be allowed, Free Fair Secre- tary/Manager Jim Gleason said.
“It is just a policy,” he said. “We hope it will be self-policing. We felt that was the best way to go.”
The fair board is expected to revisit the issue during its April board meeting.