News and Events
A Breath of Fresh Air for Hart Springs
May 17, 2023
Exciting news came to Gilchrist County this quarter with an announcement coming from Hart Springs, making their park a tobacco free environment. This newly adopted policy was announced and made effective on May 16th of this year. This newly adopted policy prohibits all tobacco smoke covering the classic smoke from cigarettes but also the smoke emitted from vaping products.
This is a huge step towards improving community health and reducing secondhand exposure in one of the most frequented parks in Gilchrist County. Hart Springs has reached capacity for the first three weekends to kick off summer frequented by families, students, and other residence to escape that Florida summer heat. Now visitors will not have to worry about our local youth being exposed to secondhand smoke exposure, but also encourage everyone to have a healthier lifestyle to get outside away from any unhealthy influences.
The Tobacco Free Partnership of Gilchrist County will be looking forward to encouraging more county owned parks and public places tobacco and smoke free in the future. Using Hart and Otter Springs as examples of the benefits a new policy adoption can bring to the community. Our Gilchrist residence deserves the ability to enjoy the beautiful outdoor amenities our county has to offer without being bombarded by smoke clouds. With the help of the partnership and other community members we can continue making strides towards a healthier community one step at a time.
