New Thousand Oaks Smoking Ordinance - Effective 8/8/08

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The following information regarding the new City of Thousand Oaks Smoking Prohibition Ordinance is taken directly from the City of Thousand Oaks website.  The Ordinance, adopted by the City Council last month, becomes effective on August 8, 2008 and will effect smokers in Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park and the Ventura County side of Westlake Village.

Smoking Ordinance:

The Thousand Oaks City Council has adopted a new ordinance which
prohibits smoking in outdoor gathering places. The ordinance will take
effect on Friday, August 8, 2008 and specifically prohibits smoking in
the following places:

  • Any playground and within 25 feet thereof;
  • Any public gardens;
  • Any outdoor service area (ex: ATM or theatre ticket line);
  • The grounds of the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, except in any
    designated smoking area;
  • Any outdoor dining area (with limited permitted exemptions);
  • The grounds of any public library;
  • Any common area at a shopping center.
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Handwashing on the Downturn

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A study funded by The Soap and Detergent Association and the American Society for Microbiology in August 2007 found that only 77% of people washed their hands in public restrooms, while in a separate telephone study, 92% of adults said they wash their hands.  Hmmm, kind of a discrepancy there.

Harris Interactive performed the study.  They conspicuously observed 6,076 adults in public restrooms in Atlanta (Turner Field), Chicago (Museum of Science and Industry, Shedd Aquarium), New York City (Grand Central Station, Penn Station) and San Francisco (Farmers' Market).  This does not sound like a particularly enticing job if you ask me.

Observers were told to groom themselves while observing and to rotate bathrooms every hour or so to avoid counting repeat users.  Better make sure to wash your hands next time someone fiddles with their hair an excessively long time in a public restroom!

The bad news is that handwashing declined by 6 percentage points from a study 2 years prior.  The guys only washed their hands 66% of the time.  The good news is that 88% of women washed their hands.  So women washed their hands 33% more often then men.  Makes you want to carry a bottle of hand sanitizer with you, doesn't it?

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