Smokers at UWS condo fume over delay on ban vote

Decision delayed due to low turnout in first ballot, board at 372 Central Park West says

From left: Cigarette butts and 372 Central Park West
From left: Cigarette butts and 372 Central Park West

The condominium board for the Vaux tower in Manhattan Valley has put off a decision to ban smoking throughout the building in wake of an underwhelming turnout for the initial voting round.

The vote, conducted at a meeting of residents at 372 Central Park West after presentations from smoke-free advocates and the city’s Health Department, garnered fewer ballots than needed for a supermajority of residents to pass the smoking ban, the New York Observer reported. A new vote will take place in June, according to the article.

Residents against the prohibition suspect the vote was delayed so the board would have more time to rally support for the ban, the article said.

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Tenants are divided on the issue, so much so that the New York Peace Institute was tapped to mediate a meeting on the matter. Since September of last year, the Health Department has been urging city landlords and tenants to consider going smoke-free in a federally-funded campaign, as previously reported.  [NYO]Angela Hunt

(Photo of cigarettes from Shutterstock)