Plaza-Goers Comment on Proposed Smoking Ban

By Godofreddo Vasquez

Plaza-goers interviewed by Patch this week understood the reasoning behind the in Concord’s Downtown Business District.

 Smoking is already banned from parks. Some businesses have removed outside tables out of concern of secondhand smoking.

 Jennifer Annatone, 31, attends the Thursday farmers market at Todos Santos Plaza to enjoy the evening music but has to remove herself from the park and business entrances to light up a cigarette.

 “They’ve already banned it in the park, so seating out here is good enough,” said Annatone. “We have to walk away from doors and entrances.”

 She understands the reasoning behind a smoking ban. She would accept it but would not like it.

 “Because a lot of kids come here it’s OK to not be able to smoke there,” said Annatone. “I understand why they might try.”

 Maria Morris, 40, takes her two children to Todos Santos Plaza regularly.

 “People should not be smoking around other people,” Morris said. “There’s tons of evidence that people get cancer off secondhand smoking … People should be considerate all on their own and not smoke where there’s other people around. I don’t want my kids to be inhaling secondhand smoke.”

 Morris would support a citywide ban on smoking but knows that would be harsh and unfair for the people who smoke.

 Anissa Moussaoui, 20, and Danielle Flores, 19, do not condone smoking but disagree with limiting others’ freedoms. They also doubt whether such an ordinance would work.

“Banning it from just one area doesn’t really seem like it’s going to do much,” said Flores. “There’s still going to be smoke. It’s just not going to be in this area.”

 “I don’t like it when people are trying to take other people’s freedoms, but I do understand that maybe they don’t want the health of other people to be affected by it,” said Flores.

 For Margaret Pavlov, a ban on smoking would be good for maintaining a smoke-free area that is heavily traveled by children and young adults.

 Pavlov quit smoking but has friends who still enjoy a cigarette. Although she agrees with a possible ban, she also sees the need to avoid isolating people. 

 “If we could have at least an area for the smoking downtown — you know, compromise,” said Pavlov. “Maybe choose a corner where is an area for smokers, still in the downtown area so we can still enjoy the downtown area as well.”