A year after ban, smoking down in city parks and beaches

Smoking in city parks is down by two-thirds since the city banned it last year, and cigarette-related litter has dropped by about the same amount, the Department of Health said Wednesday.

In a survey last October of 13 Manhattan and Brooklyn parks, including Central Park and Tompkins Square, DOH surveyors observed 35 people lighting up, compared to 108 people in October 2010, the department said. Litter on beaches also dropped about two-thirds between the summers of 2010 and 2011.

"A year since the implementation of the city's smoking ban in parks and beaches these beautiful public spaces are cleaner and safer for everyone," said Health Commissioner Thomas Farley.

The city is set to start next week running ads to remind New Yorkers that smoking is banned in all parks and beaches.

About 7,000 city dwellers annually die from smoking-related causes. The city smoking rate is now around 14%, down from 22% at the beginning of the decade, the DOH said.

Follow reporter Tim Herrera on Twitter: @tim_herrera