The Clarence Schock Memorial Park at Governor Dick has officially been designated as a tobacco- and vape-free location, as it joined the Young Lungs at Play initiative.
Now that it has been designated a no-smoking zone, Lebanon Family Health Services will provide the park with self-regulating “Young Lungs at Play!” signs to be posted in the area.
“The Young Lungs at Play program will have a positive impact on park users,” said Clarence Schock Park Ranger Dave Eichler in a Lebanon Family Health Services press release. “I applaud Lebanon Family Health Services for bringing the Young Lungs at Play program to Lebanon County and to Clarence Schock Memorial Park. We are proud to be a partner and be a part of the growing list of parks joining the program.”
Young Lungs at Play is a statewide initiative supported by the American Lung Association meant to assist municipalities in creating and maintaining tobacco-free policies in certain outdoor spaces. It argues that no amount of exposure to secondhand smoke is safe, particularly for children who use outdoor spaces like parks.
“As a park ranger I see many families with children using the park,” said Eichler. “A forested, wilderness space such as Governor Dick, with its trails system and observation tower is not exempt from the hazards of smoking and vaping, especially to children who are still physically developing.
Clarence Schock Memorial Park is not the first Lebanon location to participate in the Young Lungs at Play initiative. According to the Young Lungs at Play Honor Roll, other Lebanon County locations include Cleona Borough, Lebanon Valley Family YMCA, H.M. Levitz memorial park, and 14 other locations as of Sept. 2020.
For more information on Lebanon Young Lungs at Play, visit Lebanon Family Health’s website or call 717-273-6741 ext. 310.
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