It is the same way in local parks here. I'm a non smoker but I can tell you the reason why it got banned here...because people that did smoke couldn't be responsible and pick up after themselves. There were cigeratte butts all over the sidewalks, in the parking lots, and in the play ground areas...just products of laziness. That was one of the reasons but the big one was, people were throwing the butts into the mulch around the playground and trees, and it caught fire and had to be put out by the fire dept. Then later on, it happened again except it was in one of the wooded areas on the walking trails through the park. That one ended with approx 20 acres of woods and grass going up in flames, and threatened to get to some private property and a home before they got it put out. After that, they stopped all smoking in the city parks. All it takes is one or two to ruin it for the rest. I know a lot of smokers but I don't know any of them that don't throw their butts down on the ground. The place I work has smoke shacks outside the building for the smokers to go to...and they are the only ones that go out there. They have sand pits for them to throw their butts into but they can't seem to get the point that if they don't stop throwing them down on the grass or sidewalks, that they are going to ban smoking on the entire premises. They have already threatened to do that if they didn't stop.
