I am a mother of two children which I take to local playgrounds almost daily. While the children are running around and playing, there are adults smoking within the play area. Secondhand smoke is harmful. Tobacco smoke is very hot when released from the lit cigarette, cigar, or pipe, which makes the smoke rise for a short while. The initial visual observation gives the impression that outdoor cigarette smoke harmlessly rises into the atmosphere and away from people. However, the truth is that the smoke, along with concentrated gases, particles and cancer-causing chemicals, quickly cools off, becomes invisible, and descends. While descending, the toxic air swirls around nearby children and adults, contaminating their breathing space. The toxic chemicals are highly concentrated. Most recently, a Stanford University study found that an individual near a person who is smoking outdoors might inhale a breath that contains 50 times more toxic materials than if they were breathing near a non-smoker. For these reasons, we must petition Beaver Falls City Council to create an ordinance to make parks and playgrounds smoke-free

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