The Arlington City Council will be honored with a Healthy Communities Award from Snohomish Health District on the evening of November 3rd at the City Council meeting. The award is presented to honor organizations that have adopted health promotion programs or policies that support healthy choices for the populations they serve or employ.

The Arlington City Council will be recognized for adopting a tobacco-free parks city ordinance that includes prohibiting the use of vapor devices within city parks or on city trails. The Council concluded that parks are intended for the healthy enjoyment of both residents and visitors, and the use of tobacco or vapor devices do not meet that criterion.

Arlington joins the cities of Lake Stevens, Sultan, Lynnwood and Marysville which have also passed tobacco-free parks ordinances, but the Arlington ordinance is the first in Snohomish County and among the first in Washington State to include vapor devices.

The award is being given in conjunction with The Great American Smokeout, celebrated on the third Thursday of November since 1977. It is a day that encourages people who smoke to make a plan to quit for good or to quit just for the day. Tobacco-free and vape-free parks ordinances are the kind of policies that support taking steps toward a healthier nicotine-free life.

Incorporated in 1959, the Snohomish Health District works for a safer and healthier community through disease prevention, health promotion, and protection from environmental threats.