• Ingham County sets a Tobacco-Free Example

MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Amy Moore of the Ingham County Heath Department came to the Meridian Township Environmental Commission meeting last month and talked about how Michigan is one of the leading States in implementing Tobacco Free Parks.

Potter Park Zoo is 1 of 55 smoke free parks, Ingham County offers free signage promoting tobacco free areas, LCC was one of the first college campuses to have tobacco free areas, and the University of Michigan is one of the first schools to be one hundred percent smoke free inside and outside all building and green areas.

She talked about health risks for families, the environment, and small children if other places don't take the same initiatives.

Moore stated, "You know, 20 or 30 years ago, if some of us were smokers, its a lot different now than it was. The risk of children putting cigarette butts in their mouth, that's very dangerous, and it happens at playgrounds if our parks or playgrounds don't have a tobacco free policy."