Welcome to Smokefree DC

We are a group of DC-area residents, workers and visitors who believe that all workers deserve a safe, healthy, smokefree work environment. We support 100% smokefree workplaces, including restaurants and bars, in our nation's capital.

Tell Virginia Lawmakers You Want Smokefree Workplaces!

Live in Virginia? Tell your representative to pass STRONG smokefree workplace legislation! Not the weak measure under consideration. http://www.capitolconnect.com/smokefreevanow/

Virginia lawmakers need to know that the measure passed on Feb. 8 by the Virginia House is incredibly weak. It would permit smoking in many bars and restaurants:

  • smoking would be allowed in clubs and bars when under-age patrons aren’t admitted
  • smoking would be allowed in restaurants if the smoking and non-smoking rooms were separated by a door. This is useless because smoke would travel through the ventilation system and would enter the non-smoking area every time the door was opened. Smoking would be permitted in restaurants during private functions when the function takes up the entire restaurant

What’s more, violating the ban would bring only a $25 fine. Not much incentive.

You might hear lawmakers talk about the valuable jobs that the tobacco companies bring. Please remind them that the economic value of those jobs is more than offset by the health care costs of people who become ill from secondhand smoke and smoking-related illnesses.

All workers and patrons deserve to breathe smokefree air.

ACT NOW. http://www.capitolconnect.com/smokefreevanow/

Learn more here [http://www.smokefreevanow.org/

Happy with the New Law? Tell Us About It!

We've seen and heard great things about the new law and have created a way to gather them in one place: Smokefree Stories blog. Click here to add your own story!

Report a Violation

You can now report a violation, Smokefree DC will follow up with the establishment and Department of Health.

Click here to see a list of establishments that still permit smoking because they have received a certificate of exemption by the city's Department of Health.

Smokefree Law Goes Into Effect January 2, 2007

Smokefree Law Goes Into Effect. At long last, the law protecting workers and patrons in all offices, restaurants and bars in DC goes into effect. See the original temporary regulations. Updated! The new April 5th proposed regulations.

Smokefree DC Endorses Candidates for General Election

Smokefree DC has published its recommendations for endorsement for the November 9th, 2006 District General Election. View the endorsements here.

Smokefree DC Endorses Candidates for Mayor and DC Council Primaries

On Aug. 9, Smokefree DC members voted to endorse several candidates for the Sept 12 primary election. Read the full press release, read the candidate questionnaires, or see the final endorsement results.

Letter to DC Businesses

Read the DC Department of Health letter to DC business owners regarding the new DC Smokefree Workplaces Law. (PDF)

Smokefree Law Fact Sheet

The DC Smokefree Workplaces Law begins to take effect starting on April 4, 2006. Read more on the law here. (Word DOC), or click here to see the law itself.

Smokefree Bill Moves to Congress, Unsigned

Mayor Williams let the Smokefree Workplaces Bill move to congressional review without his signature. Here is the full text of the final bill.

VICTORY! DC Council Passes Smokefree Bill

The DC Council this afternoon (Wednesday, Jan 4, 2006) passed a comprehensive smokefree workplaces bill by an 11-1 vote. Although it's not as strong as we would like (full implementation isn't until January 1, 2007, and the waiver language is unchanged, although the Council indicated it intends for the regulations implementing the waiver provision to be strong), we're very pleased with the final outcome. Send a thank you note, and read Smokefree DC's statement.

"Levels of secondhand smoke are up to 2 times higher in restaurants than in office workplaces.... Levels of secondhand smoke are 4 to 6 times higher in bars than in office workplaces...."
Siegel, Involuntary Smoking in the Restaurant Workplace, JAMA, July 28, 1993
"Because of their high exposure to secondhand smoke at work, bar and restaurant workers are 1.5 to 2 times more likely to die of lung cancer than they would be if bars and restaurants were 100% smoke-free."
Siegel, Smoking and Bars, A Guide For Policy Makers, January, 1998
"Waiters and waitresses have nearly 4 times the worksite exposure to secondhand smoke as white collar employees."
Wortley, Pascale M. et al, "Exposure to Secondhand Smoke in the Workplace: Serum Cotinine by Occupation", Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Volume 44, Number 6, June 2002.

Join Smokefree DC, Support Smokefree Workplaces

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