The Whiteside County Health Department in conjunction with the American Lung Association have been working to make all of the parks in Sauk Valley smoke-free.
The director of public health, Marcia Widolff has already instated restrictions in both the Oregon and Sterling park districts and she has sent her sights on Freeport and Dixon.
The Smoke Free Illinois Act passed in 2008 mandated that public places and places of employment must be completely smoke-free inside and within 15 feet of entrances, exits, windows, and ventilation intakes. The Oregon and Sterling parks took it a step further placing a ban of smoking within 50 feet of all park amenities.
Whiteside County, Illinois is home to 57,800 residents over 697 square miles and was founded in 1836.
