The City of Yankton and the Yankton Tobacco Education Coalition reminds all citizens that the Yankton Parks are tobacco-free. In 2006, the Yankton Tobacco Education Coalition asked the City Commission to support a tobacco-free parks policy. All the City Commissioners voted in favor of this policy. The primary reasons for supporting tobacco-free parks are the health risks related to exposure to secondhand smoke, the peer influence on the community’s youth through role modeling, and the environmental impact due to littering.
Yankton’s city parks and recreational facilities promote health and wellness. The city parks have a tremendous number of young people utilizing them. Yankton citizens need to be positive role models in the parks for the youth and the best way for the community to influence them is by setting good examples.
The environmental impact of leaving cigarette butts on the ground is of concern also. Cigarette butts on the ground are unsightly and take away from the beauty of the community’s parks just as any litter does. There are also the potentially deadly effects on toddlers if the butts are ingested.
Please do your part to keep Yankton’s parks tobacco and litter FREE.
Thank you.
