Smoking ban isn’t an attack on the homeless

It was an ideal day to be at Lake Union Park. Everything was perfect, except the partially naked homeless man washing his pants at the spraypark while children were running around.

There were about 15 homeless people KIRO Radio’s Don O’Neill counted while he was with his son at the park. Not all were washing their pants, but many were doing one thing: smoking.

But Don might see a lot less of that starting July 1. The City of Seattle passed an ordinance that bans smoking in public parks on Thursday. Some are saying it’s an attack on the homeless.

“My hear was broken for these people … What’s going to happen?” Don asked. “When people are sitting around the park smoking what are you going to do? Take them to smoking jail?”

The goal of the ban is not to fine or arrest people, according to Seattle Parks and Recreation Superintendent Chris Williams. First-time violators will be reminded, then get a warning, then be temporarily banned from the park.

KIRO Radio’s Ron Upshaw supports the ban. The purpose of public parks is to give everyone a pleasant place to go. The intent is not to give people a place to live and do whatever they want, he added.

“This is not your personal playground,” Ron said. “It’s space for everybody to use.”

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Some people, such as homeless, might be affected by the ban more than others, Ron added. But homeless people can still sit on a bench, or evidently take their pants off and wash them in the park.

“We’re not saying you don’t have any rights, you just can’t smoke [in parks],” he said.