HUNTINGTON BEACH : Ocean View Board Weighs Smoking Ban

A majority of Ocean View School District board members agreed this week that a proposed smoking ban should extend to all district property.

If the board approves the policy at its Oct. 23 meeting, Ocean View will become Orange County’s first non-collegiate school district to ban smoking.

By applying the smoking prohibition to the district offices, transportation facility and maintenance yard, as well as the district’s 17 schools, three trustees argued that the policy would make a stronger statement against tobacco use.

“Secondhand smoke is secondhand smoke,” board President Charles Osterlund said in defense of extending the ban proposal. “I believe that while you may be talking about individual rights (of smokers), you’re also talking about a health issue. If we’re going to set a policy for a smoke-free working environment, we ought to take that stand” completely.

Trustees Sheila Marcus and Elizabeth A. Spurlock joined Osterlund in support of the total ban.

The smoke-free policy would prevent anyone from smoking anywhere on district property during school hours or at any district-sponsored event.

Some resistance to the proposed smoking ban surfaced during Tuesday’s board meeting.

Eddie Perez, the district’s chief groundskeeper, told board members he believes he should be able to continue smoking at the maintenance facility at which he works, because no children are at the site.