Pierce County Library System to Go Tobacco-Free

Starting April 2, 2012, Pierce County Library System will be tobacco free. To increase the Library’s comfortable, accessible and welcoming environment for all people, the properties the Library fully owns will be smoke and tobacco free: Bonney Lake, Buckley, Eatonville, Fife, , Graham, Lakewood, Parkland/Spanaway Pierce, South Hill, Steilacoom and Summit Pierce County Libraries, as well as the Processing and Administrative Center.

The locations where the Library does not fully own the property will not be tobacco free at this time: , DuPont, , Milton/Edgewood, Orting, , Tillicum and University Place Pierce County Libraries.

“We weighed our decision to become tobacco free with our mission to bring the world of information and imagination to all people of our community,” said Neel Parikh, executive director for the Library System. “Smoking at entrances to some libraries was making some people feel unwelcome. We also noted that staff was taken away from providing services to enforce the smoking at entrances law.”

In January 2012 the Library’s Board of Trustees adopted a Smoke and Tobacco Free Campus Policy, which goes into effect next month.

The policy defines the Library’s properties as buildings, grounds and vehicles. The policy defines tobacco as smoking in all forms, including the use of electronic cigarettes and smoke-free oral tobacco products.

A procedure to the Smoke and Tobacco Free Campus Policy allows people to smoke within their private vehicles that are parked 25 feet from an entrance to the buildings or an air intake vent.