Wabash parks board recommends city consider tobacco‑free parks after coalition presentation

The Wabash City Board of Parks and Recreation on Monday voted to recommend that the City Council consider adopting a tobacco‑free policy for city parks after a presentation from Dan Gray, director of the Wabash County Tobacco‑Free Coalition.

Gray told the board that the coalition is proposing that Wabash City parks prohibit smoking, chewing tobacco and e‑cigarettes. "If you can smell it, you are inhaling and ingesting that smoke into your lungs," Gray said, urging the board to show "a strong commitment to our youth" by reducing tobacco exposure in public parks.

Gray cited examples from neighboring communities, including Winona Lake and Manchester, and said parks that adopted tobacco‑free rules reported cleaner grounds and fewer cigarette butts. He provided sample signage and draft ordinance language and noted the coalition can help with signage costs and public education.

Board members pressed on enforcement and scope. A staff member noted the city park is the system's largest site at about 35 acres and that Wabash operates nine parks, asking where signs should be placed and whether designated smoking areas would be needed for very large events. "You can't police it," Gray acknowledged; he and board members discussed using signage and public education as primary tools and reserving fines or police enforcement for repeated or flagrant violations.

Board members also discussed exceptions for large gatherings. One member said events such as the Chili for Charity, which can draw thousands, might require a different approach; Gray suggested organizers be required to post that an event is not smoke‑free or to provide a designated smoking area.

After discussion, a board member made a motion and the board approved a recommendation that the City Council consider an ordinance or policy to make listed Wabash City parks tobacco‑free. The record does not show a roll‑call vote or individual vote tallies; the board’s action is a recommendation only and does not change current city ordinance.

Next steps: the recommendation will go to the City Council for consideration; Gray and coalition staff said they would attend the council meeting to present materials if the council schedules the proposal for consideration.

Why this matters: The proposal affects public‑space rules for families and park users and raises tradeoffs between public‑health goals, volunteer and staff enforcement capacity, and event exceptions. The board debate focused on practical enforcement, signage placement and the limits of park staff authority.