Secondhand Smoke

Is smoking ban to blame for Hawaii tourism slump?
According to Travel Hawaii LLC, Hawaii’s tourism industry is experiencing a slump, with overall January arrivals down nearly six percent from January 2006 and the lucrative Japanese market down over twelve percent. The decline comes in the wake of Hawaii’s new comprehensive smoking ban, which went into effect in November. Some feel that Japanese tourists are avoiding Hawaii, in favor of more smoker-friendly destinations. Since the ban went into effect many of Hawaii’s hotels have banned smoking in all rooms and levy large cleaning fees against those caught smoking. Click here to read more.

Air pollution down 83% in Dublin since Ireland’s smoking ban took effect
New research reveals that air pollution has dropped by 83% in Dublin pubs since the country’s smoking ban went into effect three years ago. The study also found a significant improvement in the respiratory health of bar workers. Researchers measured particles and benzene in 42 Dublin pubs and administered lung tests to 73 male bar staff. In nonsmoking bar staff, there were significant improvements in pulmonary function tests and reductions in self-reported symptoms and exposure levels. Click here for the press release, and here to read the study abstract published in The American Journal of Critical Care and Respiratory Medicine.

New Jersey smoking ban, 1 year later: Some still fume while others breathe deeply
One year after New Jersey’s Smoke Free Air Act has gone into effect, some bar and restaurant owners claim to be negatively affected. Of the 300 bars, restaurants and bowling alleys that replied to a survey a third reported that business was up, a third reported it was down, and the remaining reported no change in business. Nonsmokers, anti-smoking activists, and health officials are hailing the legislation as an overwhelming success, reporting 90 percent compliance of the law in restaurants and 75 percent compliance in bars. A New Jersey Medical Society survey reported that 89 percent of the 1,300 people polled believed that the ban has made bars and restaurants safer for employees and customers. Additionally, fine particle indoor air pollution has been reduced by 91 percent over the first six months. Click here to read more.

Indoor air quality in restaurants with and without designated smoking rooms
New research examined indoor air quality in four restaurants in two cities in northwest Ohio; in each city, one restaurant was smokefree and the other contained a dedicated smoking room while a smoke free office was assessed as a reference site. All four restaurants had significantly higher levels of carbon dioxide and ultra-fine particles than the office site, with the largest difference between the smoking rooms and the office site. The results reveal the inadequate fresh air supply in all four restaurants, particularly the designated smoking rooms. Click here to read the study abstract, published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene.

Study says Colorado indoor air improved since statewide smoking ban
A recent study shows dramatic health benefits for workers and patrons since Colorado’s bar and restaurants went smokefree nice months ago. The study, conducted by the Tobacco Education and Prevention Partnership, reports a 70 percent improvement in air pollution levels in bars and restaurants, including a 90 percent improvement in the air quality in bars and 25 percent improvement in restaurants. Click here for the press release.

Report shows smoking a bigger polluter than traffic
New research reveals that it is healthier to breathe the fumes along a high-traffic city street than inside bars that allow smoking. The report on air quality in central and northern Wisconsin studied bars, restaurants, and bowling alleys, as well as one of region’s highest traffic areas, between December 2006 and February 2007. The average level of indoor air pollution was found to be 12 times higher in places that allowed smoking than in places that were smokefree. Air quality along the busy streets was about the same as inside a smokefree restaurant. Additionally, employees working where smoking was allowed were exposed to pollution twice the annual limit set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for outdoor air quality. Results of the report will be used by state health department leaders to promote broader bans on smoking in workplaces. Click here to read more.

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Policy

National

Public housing kicks smoking habit
From California to Maine, at least 36 public housing authorities have made their apartments smokefree. Housing officials claim that the changes were made to protect nonsmoking tenants from secondhand smoke, prevent cigarette fires, and reduce the cost of rehabilitating apartments. Violators may be evicted. The ban brings into question issues of civil rights, which currently do not protect tenants from discrimination based on smoking status. Click here to read more.

California lawmakers eye new restrictions on smoking in vehicles
A California bill that would prohibit adults from smoking in vehicles carrying children cleared the first state Senate committee. Data from a 2006 report by the Harvard School of Public Health, showing that particulate matter in a smoker’s car can be 10 times higher than in a smoker’s home, is being cited as evidence for the ban. The bill would make it illegal to smoke a cigar, pipe, or cigarette in a vehicle carrying a minor, regardless of whether the car is parked or moving.The bill also creates a public health education campaign focused on the dangers of secondhand smoke. Click here to read more.

South Carolina panel approves smoking ban
A South Carolina bill that bans smoking in restaurants but allows it in bars with a special permit is headed to the Senate floor after being approved in the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill would also pre-empt any local ordinances. Click here to read more.

Wider Colorado smoking ban backed
The Colorado legislature is moving closer to a true statewide smoking ban, with a Senate panel voting to remove an exemption for cigar bars. Currently, the exemption is being abused by taverns that do not qualify. The vote comes on the heels of the passage by both chambers of a bill to ban smoking in casinos. If both bills are passed and signed by the governor, the only public indoor facilities to allow smoking would be tobacco stores, the Denver International Airport smoking lounge, and designated areas of nursing homes. Click here to read more.

Ohio’s smoking ban clears last hurdle
An Ohio Senate-House panel has opted not to interfere with rules proposed by the Ohio Department of Health that are designed to put bite into what so far has been a toothless statewide smoking ban. The enforcement procedures will begin as early as May 3rd. Businesses will have to ask patrons who insist on lighting up to step outside or else face fines of up to $2,500. The Smoke-Free Workplace Act prohibits smoking in nearly all businesses and indoor places where the public is employed or frequents. Click here to read more about the new enforcement regulations.

Maryland’s new smokefree law is a historic step for health
The Maryland Legislature has passed legislation to make all workplaces, including restaurants and bars, smokefree. Governor Martin O’Malley has promised to sign the legislation into a law. Maryland is the 18th state to pass a smokefree law that includes restaurants and bars. The ban will take effect January 1, 2008. Bar and restaurant owners can apply for financial hardship waivers from their local health department, which last until 2011. Click here for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids press release.

Virginia Governor Kaine’s ban on smoking rejected by legislature
The Republican controlled General Assembly faced off against Virginia Governor Timothy Kaine, rejecting his proposal for a statewide ban on smoking in bars and restaurants. Kaine has said he will consider another attempt to ban smoking in bars and restaurants when the legislature reconvenes in January. Click here for more information.

Iowa smoking-ban bill snuffed out
A bill allowing local governments to ban public smoking has been snuffed out due to differences over details. Iowa Legislators have been unable to reach a compromise between differing House and Senate versions of the bill and it is unlikely that a compromise will be reached within the final two weeks of the legislative session. The main disagreements arose over which businesses to exempt or whether to shield any businesses from the restrictions. Click here to read more.

Wisconsin proposals to reduce smoking in state
Two proposed pieces of legislation in Wisconsin would crack down on smoking in the state. The first, introduced to the Senate, would require virtually all workplaces to eliminate smoking inside their buildings. In addition, the governor’s proposed budget calls for a $1.25 increase in the state tobacco tax. Click here to read more.

EPA removes 1993 information from web site
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials removed a Web page from its Internet site that provided guidelines for smokefree room after a Smoke-Free Oldham (Kentucky) volunteer informed the EPA of the web content. The move was part of Smoke-Free Oldham’s fight to pass a comprehensive smoking ban in Oldham County. The EPA guidelines for maintaining a smoker's lounge are cited in a proposed amendment to the comprehensive smoking-ban ordinance that is currently before Oldham County Fiscal Court. The guidelines come from a 1993 EPA document called, "Secondhand Smoke: What You Can Do as Parents, Decision Makers and Building Occupants." John Sutton, a Crestwood resident who contacted the EPA, said the agency's speedy removal of guidelines from the Web site shows that fiscal court should not pass the amendment. Click here for the story.

Local

Alexandria may use zoning ordinances to ban smoking in restaurants
Officials in Alexandria, Virginia have devised a plan that would prohibit smoking in all new eateries and would make it more difficult for existing establishments to allow people to light up. The unusual proposal would use the city's zoning authority to mandate smokefree restaurants. If successful, Alexandria would be the first jurisdiction to bar restaurant smoking in Virginia, where the state legislature severely limits local authority. That means individual governments do not have the power to institute outright smoking bans in restaurants and bars. Alexandria has decided to use its limited powers to achieve the same result. Click here for more information

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Wales becomes smokefree
Wales became the second country in Britain to ban smoking in public enclosed spaces on April 1st, ahead of a total ban in the UK starting July 1 and in Northern Ireland on April 30th. The law bans smoking in such places as pubs, restaurants, offices and public transportation. Anyone caught smoking in enclosed public spaces faces an on-the-spot 50 pound fine, while those in charge of premises will face a fine of up to 2,500 pounds if they allow people in smoke on their premises. Click here to read more.

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