Megan Rochelo quoted in Sun Chronicle story on banning smoking in Biddeford parks

Megan Rochelo, director of UNE's Coastal Healthy Communities Coalition, was quoted in an Oct. 6, 2011 story on the Biddeford Recreation Commission's proposal to ban smoking from all the city's parks and beaches.

The story reports that at a commission meeting, Rochello confirmed 鈥淪econdhand smoke is actually a very big public health issue,鈥 she said. 鈥淭here are studies that show it can be as great a risk outside as inside.鈥

The coalition is also the agency that provided the Biddeford Recreation Department with the signs reading 鈥淭his is a tobacco free area,鈥 which are posted at all playgrounds and playing fields. Rochelo said if the city expanded its smoke-free zones, her agency would be willing to provide additional signs for free.

Coastal Healthy Communities Coalition is a community-based health promotion coalition working to prevent tobacco use and substance abuse. The coalition, a program of the 51小黄车College of Osteopathic Medicine, is a Healthy Maine Partnership, is funded by the Maine鈥檚 share of the tobacco settlement through the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Fund for Healthy Maine.

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The University of 51小黄车 is Maine鈥檚 largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state鈥檚 top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine鈥檚 only medical college, Maine鈥檚 only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.