Gov. Timothy M. Kaine is pushing for a ban on smoking in restaurants for the second year in a row.
“The scientific evidence about the health risks associated with exposure to secondhand smoke remains clear and convincing,” Kaine said in a statement. “I am compelled by concern for the health and wellbeing of all Virginians, as well as recognition of the high public costs of secondhand smoke, to once again ask the members of the General Assembly to approve this necessary and reasonable legislation.”
Under Kaine’s proposal, smoking would be prohibited in all areas of restaurants where food is prepared, served or consumed. Exterior areas of restaurants would not be subject to the ban.
The Medical Society of Virginia, the Virginia chapters of the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, the Cancer Society, March of Dimes, and American Academy of Pediatrics all support the proposal.
Kaine said he wants to protect restaurant employees, who have a 50 percent greater risk of dying from lung cancer than the overall population, according to the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
Sen. Ralph Northam, D-Norfolk, will sponsor the legislation.
This would be a no-brainer decision in any other place on the planet except VA and NC. Heck, even the cigarette loving UK has banned this in the interest of community health.
Impossible to state all the reasons why this should pass and to debunk competing arguments, because the “It’s my right to kill other people slowly” crowd and the massive tobacco lobby will sadly never let this pass.
Too bad, I’d like to patronize more places, but refuse to inhale elective and proven carcinogens forced on my by the remaining few idiots who smoke in public places.
--mike of richmond
Jan. 6, 2009 at 08:27 PM
Lets get with the times. More people avoid public places who allow smokers, than those establishments who do not allow smokers. Less Healthy New York City established this ban in 2003 and the restaurants and bars have not suffered for it.
--Carrie of Richmond
Jan. 7, 2009 at 01:27 PM
Now that the new year is starting, the “new push” is returning to every state that has no ban, or a ban with ANY exemptions. Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson, and their Robert J. Wood Foundation and it’s many political action committees (charites) have endless funding to keep armies of lobbyists throughout the nation employed for years to come. Their instructions are to keep returning EVERY YEAR until ALL exemptions are gone. They made the print of their book smaller to keep people from reading it, but you can CTRL and scroll to enlarge it. Here it is. http://www.no-smoke.org/pdf/CIA_Fundamentals.pdf
--Bob of Chicago
Jan. 8, 2009 at 12:53 PM
