A Push To Stop Smoking

With the use of tobacco rising in the United States, the Sioux Falls Health Department is looking at ways to discourage people from using tobacco.

Just over a year ago, smokers had to comply with a new smoking ban in South Dakota, and now other options to protect even more people from the harm of tobacco are being looked at in Sioux Falls.

The Sioux Falls Health Department believes the use of tobacco is getting a little out of hand and they want to help control and reduce the amount of tobacco users.

"That is going to require collaboration of many individuals in our community to look at what do we see as the desires of the community to perhaps reduce the use of tobacco use in public places or perhaps even in private places," Sioux Falls Director of Health Jill Franken said.

The health department's hope is to educate the public but also possibly limit the number of places people can smoke.

"Reducing tobacco use in apartment complexes and rental properties that would be one strategy that various communities have engaged in already," Franken said.

Another option would be to ban smoking in parks, which is what Yankton County did back in 2006. Their parks are now completely smoke free.

"There is already over 500 counties that have put ordinances in place for no smoking in parks, which is one we certainly would want to have a conversation about," Franken said.

And while no official details have been set, the message is clear: their goal is to reduce smoking and the use of tobacco in Sioux Falls.

The Sioux Falls Health Department plans to work with the city to come up with ways to not only educate but also deter people from using tobacco.