While some board members wondered how the health department could enforce a smoking ban, others were bothered by what they saw as an infringement on personal choice.
"There isn't one person in this room who can't say smoking is bad," said George Garwood, mayor of South Ogden. "But people have a choice. . . . They have the same right to enjoy the amenities their tax dollars have paid for."
"The health department's role is to educate, not regulate," said Weber County Commissioner Jan Zogmaister.
Craig Dearden, another Weber County commissioner, objected to the possibility that campers could be forced to smoke inside their trailers or campers, perhaps exposing children to second-hand smoke, rather than break the law by smoking outdoors.
"They can't come out of the camper and smoke but they are going to stand by that campfire and breath that smoke," he said.
Physician Frank Brown said the board "has to come down on the side of health," but it needs to be careful that its decisions are based on facts.
All the statistics about deaths and disease caused by second-hand smoke are based on studies of indoor smoke, he said.
Among those pressing the board to ban outdoor smoking in public places were eight children from Riverdale Elementary, who play in a public park littered with cigarette butts.
James Bemel, a representative of Weber State University Students Working Against Tobacco, ticked off a list of the health hazards to those who breathe second-hand smoke.
"Smoking is not a right. It is a choice and one that interferes with the health of anyone who inhales second-hand smoke," said Bemel, whose group is trying to ban smoking on the WSU campus.
Colin Winchester of Morgan encouraged the board to leave the decision to cities and counties.
"Don't force this down cities and counties just because you can," said Winchester, a Morgan City Council member.
kmoulton@sltrib.com
While many cities in the Salt Lake Valley and the Davis County Health Department have adopted smoking bans for outdoor public places, the Weber-Morgan Health Department said "no" to such a ban. The rejected regulation would have carried a $25 fine for smoking in such places as parks, cemeteries, campgrounds, golf courses and campgrounds.
