Fair Board Decides To Corral Smokers 3 Outdoor Areas To Be Designated For Those Wishing To Light Up

Already banned in government buildings, smoking will be limited outside as well during next month’s Spokane Interstate Fair.

Smokers will be asked to use one of three designated smoking areas, including the beer gardens, during the 10-day fair.

The Interstate Fair Board’s decision to limit smoking follows complaints from people who bumped into the hot end of cigarettes or were tired of breathing smoke as they ate corn dogs and elephant ears, said Fran Boxer, assistant county administrator.

“Our maintenance people continually have to go around and pick up cigarette butts,” Boxer said. “It’s really disgusting.”

Boxer said signs will announce the new rule, and volunteers will direct smokers to the closest place that smoking is allowed.

“It’s not going to be a heavy-handed monitoring, it’s more of a reminder,” Boxer said. “They won’t be asked to leave.”

The rule applies only this year. Sometime after the last ride is ridden and the cows have gone home, the fair board will decide whether it’s worth making the rule permanent, although it won’t be applied to other events held at the fairgrounds, Boxer said.

Some board members are skeptical the rule can be enforced. Others worry the self-supporting fair will lose money if smokers will stay home.

Linda Thompson, executive director of the Greater Spokane Substance Abuse Council, said the rule should make visiting the fair a better experience for families.

“Of course, we’d like to see it totally smoke-free,” Thompson said. “This is a good start.”

Boxer and Thompson said they didn’t know whether other fairgrounds have similarly strict smoking regulations.

Representatives of the Western Washington Fair in Puyallup and the Evergreen State Fair in Monroe said smoking is allowed nearly anywhere outside buildings at those fairs, which are the largest in the state.

, DataTimes