County parks, Fairgrounds excluded

By Kylie Brown

Most Freeborn County grounds will be tobacco-free starting Saturday.

The policy, approved by the Freeborn County Board of Commissioners earlier this year, includes all tobacco products —including electronic cigarettes — on county grounds, with the exception of the Freeborn County Fairgrounds and county parks.

“This policy will help protect all residents of Freeborn County,” said Alice Englin, Statewide Health Improvement Partnership coordinator for Freeborn County, in a news release. “By adopting this policy, Freeborn County may help reduce the rate of tobacco use in our community and will help protect staff, visitors and the public from exposure to secondhand smoke.”

The announcement came after Freeborn County Public Health Director Sue Yost and Englin presented the plan to make most county property tobacco free during a study session on May 14.

At that time, Yost said each employee who smokes costs the county $3,391 each year.

According to ClearWay Minnesota, tobacco use leads to more than 6,000 deaths a year in Minnesota, and smoking costs Minnesota more than $3 billion in health care costs.

To help inform and remind the public, tobacco free grounds signage will be posted on county grounds, and policy information will be available on the Freeborn County website.

Yost said the support of the Freeborn County commissioners, background research and technical assistance of public health staff, along with support and assistance from Rice County Public Health, was instrumental in moving the policy forward.