By John Fredericks / Staff

Chalk one up for the smokers – at least partially.

The Roswell Parks Department gambit to get their City Council to eliminate all smoking at area parks got doused.

Rather than ban smoking at the city’s parklands completely, the council left the door open to allow designated areas to be sanctioned as acceptable for the city’s hapless and beleaguered smokers.

The Council unanimously passed an ordinance limiting smoking in all parks to certain areas. The problem is, no one quite knows where those areas will be.

“It should be about 100 feet from where people gather to watch ballgames or at other events,” said Roswell’s newest councilwoman, Dr. Elizabeth Price. “While smoking is unhealthy and second hand smoke can be harmful, smoking is not illegal,” opined Price. “We have to maintain the balance between what is best for non-smokers and infringing on a smoker’s freedom to choose their lifestyle.” Price said that while she acknowledges the health risks of smoking she couldn’t approve a total ban on individual liberty grounds. “I think it behooves us to find a place a person can smoke without infringing on others’ rights to clean air,” Price concluded.

Councilwoman Lori Henry, a former smoker, thought the compromise adopted by the council made sense. “I am opposed to legislating behavior, and this is an example of government over-reaching its level of authority,” Henry said, “especially in an environment where there were no complaints that prompted this proposal.”

The Parks and Recreation Commission is now charged with figuring where the designated smoking areas will be in each park. City Council must approve their recommendations. ­