The Mayor and Council of the Borough of Dumont hereby find and
determine that:
A. The smoking of tobacco products is a major contributor to indoor
air pollution and breathing secondhand smoke is a cause of disease
to nonsmokers;
B. Reliable studies have shown that environmental tobacco smoke is a
cause of cardiovascular disease, impaired respiratory function and
asthma;
C. The United States Department of Environmental Protection (USEPA)
has designated secondhand smoke as a Class A carcinogen as well as
a significant cause of respiratory problems in children;
D. The U.S. Surgeon General has found that the active smoking of tobacco
products and the passive inhalation of environmental tobacco smoke
are the most prevalent causes of preventable death, disease and disability;
E. The U.S. Surgeon General has found that separating smokers from nonsmokers
within the same air space does not eliminate the exposure of nonsmokers
to environmental tobacco smoke;
F. The State of New Jersey has acknowledged that careless smoking is
the leading cause of death from fire;
G. Smoking leads to the inevitable discard of tobacco products and a
source of litter by those who fail to properly dispose of cigar, cigarette,
pipe or other combustible tobacco product in any manner or in any
form; and
H. The State Legislature has deemed the control of smoking to be a necessary
and proper exercise of municipal authority pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:48-1
et seq., N.J.S.A. 40:48-2 et seq., N.J.S.A. 26:3D-46 et seq., and
N.J.S.A. 2C:33-13 for the preservation of public health, safety and
welfare of the community.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
COMMON AREA
The walkways, lawns, yards, gardens of any public building
and all accessory structures, improvements or appurtenances used for
the management, operation, or maintenance of the public building.
PERSON
Any individual, partnership, cooperative association, private
corporation, personal representative, receiver, trustee, assignee
or any other legal entity.
PUBLIC BUILDING
Any building, structure, facility or complex used by the
general public, or to which the general public is invited, which is
owned, leased, operated or under the ownership or control of the Borough
of Dumont. (Dumont Board of Education has its own policy.)
SMOKING
The inhaling, exhaling, burning, or possession of any lighted
cigar, cigarette, pipe or other combustible tobacco product in any
manner or in any form, including the vapor from electronic smoking
devices.
Except as otherwise provided herein, smoking shall be prohibited
in the following places:
A. Every room, chamber, lobby, hallway, restroom, plaza, and other common
areas in and upon any public building;
B. Any entrance or exit areas of any public buildings where smoke may
enter the air people breathe through such entrances, exits, windows
or ventilation systems;
C. Any vehicles owned and/or leased, in part or entirely, by the Borough
of Dumont; and
D. On any public property, including parks, recreation areas, playgrounds,
and swimming pools. This prohibition on smoking shall not apply to
individuals in privately owned vehicles, provided that all debris
is retained within the vehicle.
"Smoking" or "No Smoking" signs, as appropriate, or the international,
"No Smoking" symbol (a picture of a burning cigarette inside a red
circle with a red bar across it) shall be clearly and conspicuously
posted by the owner, operator, manager, employer or such other person
in control of every public building where smoking is controlled by
this chapter. The color of such signs, when not of the international
type, shall have letters that are distinct, contrasting to the background
and easily read. Letters shall have a minimum height of 3/4 inch and
should be posted in English. The "No Smoking" signs shall be posted,
at a minimum, on every doorway which provides an entry to the building.
The "Smoking" signs shall be posted only in those areas so designated
by the governing body, as provided by this chapter.
The provisions of this chapter shall be enforceable by a police
officer, employee or elected official of the Borough of Dumont, as
well as by any other individual who observes a violation. Any person
seeking to enforce the provision of this chapter shall be authorized
to file a complaint with the Police Department of the Borough of Dumont.