Kimball County goes tobacco free

According to the new Kimball county handbook and as of January 1, 2017 when the handbook takes effect, “All Kimball County owned facilities shall be designated as tobacco free and tobacco use shall be prohibited except in designated tobacco areas.”

The Kimball County Commissioners (Board) had discussed in previous meetings when to put the ban into effect and it was decided that the first of the year was the best option. As Commissioner Daria Faden said, “we want to give people time.”

Commissioner Larry Engstrom voiced his desire to include an encouraging statement such as, “wellness of the community” as it inspires a community focus.

Commissioner Tim Nolting read from the new handbook, stating that the new rule does say, “to promote the health, safety and welfare of community residents.”

This new regulation will include all county owned properties including, the Kimball County Courthouse, the Annex building, Kimball Health Services and all it’s properties, the Kimball County Manor and Assisted Living, all schools, the Welcome Center and the entire Parks and Recreation areas, as well as all county owned shops.

Although the court house and many other county buildings currently have smoker receptacles outside their buildings, the new rule will no longer allow any tobacco products on the property. This means that all smokers and dippers will need to dispose of their tobacco before stepping outside of their vehicle or while still on public sidewalks.

According to Tim Nolting, the receptacles will be removed. “It will take time for the transition,” he said. “The groundskeepers would have to pick them up. We would enforce by agreement and public awareness.”

The education could include posters in the buildings.

Both the manor and hospital already have their own policies. According to Cathy Sibel, “when Val Dean Snyder was a county commissioner, the board passed a resolution that the county hospital and manor could have their own policies regarding smoke-free.” Currently the hospital is completely tobacco free and the manor is tobacco free except in it’s one designated area.

County Attorney, Dave Wilson said, “by doing this, basically we are following what they have already put in place in each facility.”

The Park and Recreation areas are owned by the county as Trustee, although it is run in partnership with the city. This makes it the county’s right to enforce the tobacco ban on all county recreational areas as well even though they are mostly outdoors.

The Board, Dave Wilson, Christy Werner, Cathy Sibel and others discussed in the crowd discussed the issues enforcing the rule at the Welcome Center. As it is specifically for tourists, it could possibly make the concept of completely tobacco improbable. The Board agreed to allow the Welcome Center designated tobacco area outside of the building yet still on the property.

While this new tobacco ban on Kimball County properties is not a new concept it is interesting to know that according to Wikipedia, “one of the world’s earliest smoking bans was a 1575 Roman Catholic church regulation with forbade the use of tobacco in any church in Mexico.”