Leetsdale to Enforce Smoke-Free Zone

Smokers in Leetsdale will have to refrain from sucking in nicotine too close to the borough building's entranceways. 

Leetsdale Council President Joseph McGurk announced Wednesday night that the borough building will now be entirely smoke-free. This came without a council motion; McGurk said it is already an Allegheny County ordinance to prohibit smoking within a 15-foot radius of government buildings.

While the details are not entirely sketched out, he estimates that the no-tolerance zone will be a little larger.

“We had a number of people who were smoking over the past couple years, and stand in front of the buildings here and down below,” McGurk said. “Any time the public was entering the building, a lot of times they had to wade their way through the smoke to get in here.”

The building also is required to have a smoking zone for those who want to light up, but this space has yet to be determined. The upper and lower driveway areas were suggested as potential designated smoking areas.

McGurk said that the parameters and document for this will be presented at the next meeting.

Plans to establish a no-smoking zone first came up Tuesday at the workshop meeting. One resident raised concerns about litter from cigarette butts if smokers are pushed away into neighboring yards.

“There’s never an excuse for cigarette butts anywhere,” McGurk said.

Councilwoman Melanie Dunn said she believes smoking in police cars should be off limits, too.

Councilman Wes James said he didn’t believe the borough could enforce such a policy, and he believes it would be asking too much of the police.

As a former smoker, James said he could relate.

“I did smoke awhile. It’s a bad habit. It’s unhealthy, but it’s not illegal,” James said.

Mayor Pete Poninsky said the issue has been raised before with police cars over concerns of falling ashes near the computer and switches. 

One resident suggested a smoking ban on all borough-owned vehicles.

“If you’re going to cater to the smoker, think about the next guy who gets in the car who’s not a smoker,” said resident Tom Belcastro.

Patch Editor Larissa Dudkiewicz contributed to this report.