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Rockville Bans Smoking On Playgrounds

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The Rockville council has banned smoking within 40 feet of playgrounds. This means there will be no more cigarette butts in the sand for children playing in city parks.

The city council approved the smoking ban last night. The idea was sparked by complaints from moms, dads and caretakers.

Some residents have pushed for a total ban on smoking in parks. That idea wasn't voted on, but most on the council say they would be open to considering it later.

Burt Hall, Rockville's director of recreation and parks, calls the idea "a no-brainer." He says the city has received no negative feedback about the ban. But Thomas Firey, a regulatory policy analyst at the libertarian Cato Institute and the Maryland Public Policy Institute, says the idea represents unnecessary government interference in people's personal decisions.

Meymo Lyons reports...

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