Sammamish parks soon will be tobacco free. The City Council voted May 6 to prohibit any person from lighting such things as cigarettes, vapor electric cigarettes, cigars, pipes of any kind and other products such as chewing tobacco from parks and marine areas.

The move will put Sammamish in line with Bothell, Burien, SeaTac, Shoreline and Woodinville, all of which are tobacco-free in their parks.

Black Diamond and Vashon are 100 percent smoke-free, while Mercer Island, Kirkland, Seattle and King County designate tobacco-free areas. Snoqualmie designates smoke-free areas.

Councilmember Nancy Whitten did not support the regulation.

“I think we’re being Big Brother,” she said. “I’m not going to vote for this.”

The regulation passed 6-1 with all other council members in support of the regulation, though for different reasons.

“For me, I feel like our laws ought to reflect our morals,” said Mayor Tom Vance.

Councilmember Tom Odell said his parents smoked three packs of cigarettes a day when he was growing up and he is the victim of second-hand smoke. However, he said that even the hardest-core smoker will obey this ordinance.

Councilmember Kathy Huckabay said to her it’s more of a maintenance issue, citing smoking as “dirty and nasty.”

Councilmember Bob Keller said that while he understands where Whitten is coming from in regards to overregulation, he believes that Sammamish is an extension of limiting smoking in public areas.

Whitten also asked that specific language be written in to include marijuana. However, Sammamish attorney Kari Sand said that issue is covered under state legislation. Sand said it’s already unlawful to use marijuana or open marijuana containers in the view of the general public under state law.