Aspinwall residents are still up in arms about the smoking situation on Delafield Avenue. Citizens filled the May 14 council meeting and said UPMC employees and patients are congregating on sidewalks and personal property.

Lynn Labun visits her mother everyday on Delafield Avenue and sees UPMC employees, patients, and visitors stopping in front of the house and walking on the sidewalk while they smoke.

Labun said she has tried talking to the smokers asking them to move but it doesn't work. Her next step is to get together with neighbors and try to get a state representative behind them to put a sidewalk on Freeport Road for smokers because UPMC has no area for them.

"I think that is ridiculous especially when you are pushing the problem into some other community," Labun said, "If it isn't healthy for them it isn't healthy for Aspinwall either."

Aspinwall resident David Esch does not like his 10-year-old son watching smokers walk up and

down the sidewalk.
"To me it's become a public nuisance," Esch said, "And that's why something needs to be done."
Esch, who lives on Delafield, hopes conversations between residents and borough council will resolve the issue but is willing to contact various media outlets until something is done.
He applauds UPMC for trying to obtain a smoke-free environment but thinks they have had some unintended consequences.
Councilmen Joseph Giuffre suggested infusing UPMC with calls complaining about the smokers.
Mayor Ben Killian said the borough is in a tough position because they don't know what their legal rights are. He did however provide some reassurance to Aspinwall residents.
"The citizens come first," Mayor Killian said.
Killian also said there is a conflict of interest because solicitor Tim Bish is unable to give the borough legal advice.
Bish said his law firm represents UPMC on slip and fall cases and the firms policy forbids him from commenting on legal matters against a client.
Councilmen Joseph Gass said problem is that UPMC does not permit smoking and Aspinwall has no jurisdiction to ban smoking.
According to Doug Harrison, Executive Director of Operations at UPMC St. Margaret, the hospital continues to offer smoking cessation classes and encourages those to do smoke to use the Waterworks Mall side of the hospital.
UPMC St. Margaret President Dave Martin issued a memo to employees asking them not to congregate in one area, dispose of cigarette butts properly, and be aware of noise.
"We will have UPMC St. Margaret security patrol the grounds to assure that our employees and visitors are being respectful to our neighbors in the community," Martin said.