Children, they note, are particularly vulnerable to the poisons contained in secondhand smoke.

Some countries, such as Canada and Australia, already require cars to be smokefree when children [...]]]> Saying that smoking in cars exposes people to 23 times more toxins than a smoky bar, the British Medical Association is calling on the government to make cars smokefree.

Children, they note, are particularly vulnerable to the poisons contained in secondhand smoke.

Some countries, such as Canada and Australia, already require cars to be smokefree when children are riding in them. Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Maine and Puerto Rico have followed suit, according to information compiled by Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights.

In the District several years ago, D.C. Councilmember Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) introduced a similar bill to prohibit smoking in cars when children are present but never pursued it.

The case of the convoluted budget amendment just got messier.

Mayor Vincent Gray has vetoed a measure that was supposed to narrow a huge exemption to the smokefree workplaces law — an exemption that the D.C. Council passed in June without public notice. (They claimed it was an accident.) However, because [...]]]>

Flickr photo courtesy of aperryproductions

The case of the convoluted budget amendment just got messier.

Mayor Vincent Gray has vetoed a measure that was supposed to narrow a huge exemption to the smokefree workplaces law — an exemption that the D.C. Council passed in June without public notice. (They claimed it was an accident.) However, because the second, narrower exemption really wasn’t that narrow, his veto isn’t such a bad thing. Now, the Council will likely revisit the legislation – and that gives us a shot at getting the exemption repealed altogether.

But let’s back up. You recall that in June, the Council, in the middle of a budget discussion, introduced and quickly passed an enormous exemption to the smokefree workplace law. They claimed later that they had meant it to apply to just two events — Fight Night (a fundraiser) and the annual St. Patrick’s Day fete held by the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick (of which Councilmember Jack Evans was a member and may still be). In fact, by our calculations, 79 hotels would be eligible to hold one cigar-smoking event annually.

So the Council decided to try again. On July 12, it passed another measure. This one applied to hotels that “[h]ave a ballroom or special event catering space with an occupancy of 500 or more persons.” Again, several proponents of this very bad idea claimed that the exemption was for just two events. Councilmember Phil Mendelson questioned that, saying on the dais that he thought more than just two hotels would fit in this category. His colleagues ignored him.

Turns out he was right.

Smokefree DC checked with the convention bureau and got a list of hotels that would qualify for the exemption. Puzzles, we checked back with the D.C. budget office and with a staffer in Councilmember Michael Brown’s office. Both insisted that just six hotels would be eligible for the exemption, and since a few of them had no-smoking policies, the new law effectively would apply just to two hotels.

Wrong again. Smokefree DC looked up the hotels online and looked at the facilities they listed. Sure enough, 25 hotels are eligible for the exemption. You can see the list – and the links to the facility descriptions – here. We sent the list back to the staffer who told us that really, jut six hotels were eligible for the exemption. We have not received a response.

We have to note that during the July meeting, Mendelson, on principle, tried to strip the exemption altogether and restore the smokefree law to its original form. Councilmembers Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) and Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) sided with Mendelson. They lost that attempt, 10-3.

But back to the story. Dissecting exactly what the Council really did took some time. This week, just as we were preparing to send a letter to the Council with our findings, pointing out that despite the high-minded speeches on the dais from members who piously proclaimed that they were all in favor of smokefree policies but wanted to help the children of the District of Columbia, we got word that Gray vetoed the July bill.

That means the original measure – the really bad, broad June exemption that applies to 79 hotels – stands. That’s not good.

But it appears as though the Council will revisit this in September when they return from their August holidays. When they get back, they shouldn’t even try to narrow the exemption to two events. They should repeal it altogether.

It’s wrong that they are weakening a key health and safety law. It’s wrong that they did it through a budget amendment, thereby completely bypassing the public. It’s wrong that they are so willing to expose hotel workers to the toxins of secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke has more than 400 chemicals, 69 of which are known or suspected carcinogens. The U.S. Surgeon General has established that there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.

If you agree, please contact the Council and let them know.

Here’s an update on the enormous exemption the D.C. Council created in the city’s smokefree workplaces law: They claim it was an accident.

Seriously.

They meant to vote to approve just an exemption for two events a year, Councilmember Mary Cheh (Ward 3) told my colleague, Bob Summersgill. In fact, the Council [...]]]>

flickr photo courtesy of sebastian6

Here’s an update on the enormous exemption the D.C. Council created in the city’s smokefree workplaces law: They claim it was an accident.

Seriously.

They meant to vote to approve just an exemption for two events a year, Councilmember Mary Cheh (Ward 3) told my colleague, Bob Summersgill. In fact, the Council approved broad language that permits 79 hotels in the city to have cigar-smoking events once a year. Whoops.

So now they are apparently scrambling to “fix” their error.

There are several profoundly disturbing things about this mess:

1) The Council made a major policy change — weakening a phenomenally popular law — without any public notice or chance for public input. (They did it through an amendment to the budget process.)

2) The Council didn’t bother to read the wording of what they were voting on. Instead, they just relied on those who presented it (Councilmembers Jack Evans and Michael Brown).

3) Evans and/or Brown either deliberately misled other councilmembers or they screwed up royally and got their intended language all wrong. Either one is really bad.

4) Their “fix” still isn’t a very good fix. Apparently now they are talking about permitting cigar-smoking events in hotels that seat at least 500 people. By our count, that includes 25 hotels – not two.

What an outrage. What sheer arrogance. What incompetence. What a mess.

How dare the Council weaken a workplace safety law under the radar screen? Do they really think that’s good policy? Even if they do “fix” their mistake, what they plan to do isn’t right either. The public isn’t clamoring to have cigar-smoking events. Hotel workers aren’t either. This is just a case of the Council doing favors for friends.

One very important note: The hero in all this is Councilmember Phil Mendelson. He apparently is the only Councilmember who read the language of the amendment before the vote. He realized how broad it was and tried to strike it.

In fact, he didn’t favor any exemptions at all — even for two events, because that would undermine a law that protects the health and safety of workers. He was at the losing end of a 12-1 vote.

So if you think the D.C. Council is a really sorry bunch, as Smokefree DC does right now, and you don’t want them to be gutting the smokefree workplace law by casually making amendments to a completely unrelated bill with no public notice, let them know. Here’s how. While you’re at it, please thank Phil Mendelson for doing the right thing.

Similar smokefree workplace laws that cover bars and restaurants will take effect in Lowell, Indiana; Brentwood, Missouri; Creve Coeur, Missouri; Jefferson City, Missouri; Devils Lake, North Dakota; Frisco, Texas; San Antonio, Texas; Fitchburg, [...]]]> On Jan. 1, a strong smokefree workplace law took effect in Savannah, Ga. (See earlier post for details.) It was one of many local laws slated to take effect this year.

Similar smokefree workplace laws that cover bars and restaurants will take effect in Lowell, Indiana; Brentwood, Missouri; Creve Coeur, Missouri; Jefferson City, Missouri; Devils Lake, North Dakota; Frisco, Texas; San Antonio, Texas; Fitchburg, Wisconsin; and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights.

That organization has updated its maps. Check out this one if you want to get a good snapshot of the wide geographic range of places covered by smokefree laws.

Another nifty ANR fact sheet slices and dices smokefree workplace law coverage based on government entity (city or state) and nature of the law (workplaces not including bars, including bars). As of this week, 3,198 municipalities have laws that protect people in some way from secondhand smoke.

Happy New Year.

The organization now counts 3,173 U.S. municipalities a smokefree indoor air law is in effect, 902 of which provide complete protection for non-hospitality workplaces, and/or restaurants, and/or bars.

Check out ANR’s new information.

This should be interesting, because Greece has one of the highest rates of smoking among European countries — 42 percent of adults smoke. A whopping six of 10 workers surveyed said they are exposed to secondhand smoke at their workplaces every day. [...]]]> Greece is going smokefree. According to CNN, the government’s slogan is “cut smoking, gain life.”

This should be interesting, because Greece has one of the highest rates of smoking among European countries — 42 percent of adults smoke. A whopping six of 10 workers surveyed said they are exposed to secondhand smoke at their workplaces every day. But it’s definitely the right thing to do, for the sake of the majority of the population who are nonsmokers. Further, this will cut down on Greece’s health care bill.

To help make this work, the government is imposing stiff fines: between $650 and $12,750 for each violation . The fine will double when there’s a recurrence.

1) The enormous quantity of lights of all colors, often flashing, all spectacular and all over-the-top.  I kept thinking about how much energy is wasted is keeping them shining. Even the water show at the [...]]]> I was in Las Vegas recently for work (yes, I really did work) and was really struck by a few things:

1) The enormous quantity of lights of all colors, often flashing, all spectacular and all over-the-top.  I kept thinking about how much energy is wasted is keeping them shining. Even the water show at the Bellagio never stops  — I went for an early morning run along the Strip and the fountains were still springing to life in time to music, although no one was around to watch. What a waste of electricity.

2) The lack of natural beauty. I’m sure it’s somewhere in Vegas, and I could see mountains in the distance, but gawd, not even a park near the Strip? Really? No natural greenery at all? I realized when I returned to Washington, D.C., how beautiful this city is.

3) The secondhand smoke (you knew that was coming). It is horrific. Smoking is allowed in casinos. The catch is – everything is a casino. The hotels are giant casinos that happen to have rooms on top. Restaurants are all located in the hotels/casinos. Although smoking is not allowed in restaurants, the doors frequently open onto the hotel/casino area, which means all the smoke filters in. Don’t even get me started about the bars. 

The crime of it is, people work in these places all day/night, which means they are exposed to harmful chemicals all the time at work. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health  released a report in 2009 showing workers in Las Vegas casinos were experiencing respiratory problems and had byproducts of secondhand smoke in their bodies. The recommendation: Ban smoking in casinos.

Nevada passed a smokefree law in 2006, but it’s pretty weak. Smoking is allowed in gaming areas of casinos and standalone bars. While I understand concerns that casinos will lose business if they were smokefree, I don’t think that would happen. People will still gamble. That’s exactly what restaurant and bar owners predict in every city and state that makes its bars and restaurants smokefree, and the dire predictions never come to pass. At any rate, the health of workers is more important and should be the top consideration.

Learn more about Nevada’s smoky situation.

Our friends at Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights have been [...]]]> Whew. It’s been a busy couple of weeks … I was in upstate New York for a week, enjoying the scenery and being totally unplugged, swimming and canoeing and hiking. Yes, the whole state is smokefree, which is great of course. Returned to a pile of work.

Our friends at Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights have been busy too. They have updated their smokefree law lists and maps. You can learn such nifty factoids as this: 78.9 percent of the U.S. population is covered by smokefree laws.

Traveling anytime soon? ANR has helpfully pulled a list of travel destinations and provided information about their smokefree status.

While I’m promoting ANR’s work, I may as well  encourage folks to make a generous donation to the group. They really do fabulous work.

Gov. John deJohng Jr. has signed a bill that makes all public indoor spaces and workplaces smokefree, including bars and restaurants.

The only problem: According to the Virgin Islands Daily News, deJohng wants to tinker with the definition of “enclosed area.”

Let’s hope he doesn’t water down the law.