Lane Co. leaders reject parks smoking, vaping ban

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Lane County commissioners have rejected a proposed ban on smoking and vaping in county parks, but not without deciding to reconsider the policy later with possible changes.

The Register-Guard reports (http://bit.ly/2ftQDtu ) the board of commissioners voted down the proposal on Tuesday that would have applied to the county’s 73 parks. The board will consider a provision exempting Native American religious ceremonies and whether the ban should apply to campsites at a later date.

The board’s decision marks another loss for county health officials, who have pushed for the parks smoking ban for several years.

Commissioners who voted against the proposal questioned whether it would actually improve residents’ health, as supporters of the ban have argued.

Several city parks in Lane County have already gone tobacco-free, including Veneta, Eugene and Springfield.

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Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com