Smoking Areas

1

Hi all!

We found a non-member who was a guest at the Makerspace for another event today smoking in the Community Garden. When he was politely informed where the designated smoking area was, he threw the cigarette butt onto the ground in the garden area.

The Community Garden is a no-smoking area. This is for the health of the garden and anyone using that outdoor space. Discarding cigarette butts on the ground is littering and a potential fire hazard. Additionally, cigarette smoke can poison and damage plants that the garden committee and community members work hard to cultivate, and is a health hazard for other people. There is a designated smoking area by the west door. We kindly ask that any smokers please use that area!

Thank you!

2

There is a request in the garden policy about not smoking out there right?

3

Correct. Perhaps we need to formalize it for the space as a whole?

4

There is indeed a request for no smoking in the garden policy. I like the idea of formalizing it.

5

Policy or not, just tossing the butt on the ground when asked to put it out is pretty darn rude, imo. That’s the kind of thing that makes me daydream about sticking the still-lit cigarette in the offender’s ear!

6

Once a policy is formalised I would highly recommend signage because smoking outdoors at least 20 feet from any entrance is typically allowed except when signage disallows smoking on an entire property.

A little known issue with gardening and touching any tobacco product is that one can infect plants with the tobacco mosaic virus by touching plants after handling tobacco if you don’t thoroughly wash your hands. Tobacco mosaic virus can infect tomatoes and sweet potato plants among others (and nicotiana which is grown for flowers).

–A smoker that tries to be responsible..

7

Regarding the designated smoking area, isn’t it supposed to be more than 10’ from an entrance? I generally see people smoking at the table next to the door.

8

Yeah, we might need a sign by the front door, too. And is there a distance for windows? Because I see people leaning right next to them to smoke, which makes them unusable for anyone who’d like them open (and the smell gets in anyway).

Somewhat related, it seems people have been rolling or spitting tobacco in the lounge. I cleaned the table, removed a filthy roll of paper, and put a small sign on it.

(edit: while I never saw anyone doing this, my dad was a heavy chewer so the smell is starkly familiar to me)

9

Signs are relatively inexpensive.

Facilities has recommended that signs be posted in front of each door and in the garden area.

10

There is now a No Smoking sign in the garden under the pavillion.