June 1, 2009The issue of smokefree air is lighting up again (pun intended) with House passage of HB 4377 only days after the House Regulatory Reform Committee sent it to the floor for a vote.
Lawmakers and advocates have been pushing for comprehensive legislation that would protect Michigan residents from the deadly effects of secondhand smoke since the late 1970s, when Michigan first required nonsmoking sections in restaurants. In 1986 the Michigan Clean Indoor Air Act was passed, which required all public buildings to become smokefree environments. Despite the advances in research and the many studies concluding that secondhand smoke can cause cancer, heart and lung disease and several other fatal diseases, there have been no further regulations placed on public smoking since 1993.
Last year the movement came as close as it has ever been to success, when differing versions of legislation passed both the House and Senate. Speaker Andy Dillon stood firm behind the idea of carve-outs for casinos and tobacco specialty shops, while the Senate wanted a comprehensive bill with no exemptions. During lame-duck, neither chamber would compromise; in turn the bill died in a conference committee. Advocates statewide were enraged. How could each chamber claim to support smokefree air, but fail to make any progress?
Currently, there are 37 other states with smokefree air laws, including most recently added North Carolina, a state that relies heavily on the tobacco industry. When the Campaign for Smokefree Air formed in 2005, there were only 14. Instead of being a leader on this issue, we are once again near the bottom of list.
By joining the 37 other states that have passed smokefree air laws, Michigan would be saving its residents from the fatal side effects of secondhand smoke. Exposure to secondhand smoke has been proven to increase the risk of cancer and heart disease. In both Helena, Montana, and Pueblo, Colorado, studies have shown a significant decrease in the number of heart attack patient hospital admissions after enacting smokefree air laws. The lightening rod argument finally has become more about health and less about politics.
In addition to the obvious health benefits to a ban, there are definite economic savings as well. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates the cost savings of eliminating secondhand smoke in the workplace to be between $35 and $66 billion a year. Annually, it costs Michigan $3.8 billion in smoking-related productivity losses.
New Yorkers have been breathing clean air in local bars and restaurants since 2003, and more than 80 percent of those surveyed say they appreciate the smokefree air laws. Rhode Island saw an 8-percent increase in restaurant and bar sales after enacting smokefree legislation. On the west coast, the restaurant and bar industry in the state of Washington showed a 20-percent increase in sales one year after smokefree legislation was put in place.
While the leadership in each chamber has not changed, this year does bring fresh perspective and motivated lawmakers, many of whom campaigned on the issue last fall or who heard about it while going door-to-door. This issue is one that crosses party lines — it is about protecting the health of Michigan residents and is an issue that Michigan residents deserve to have resolved.
There are several possible ways to have smokefree air legislation passed, one of which is the highly talked about ballot initiative that was proposed in a bill by Sen. Hunter last month. While a ballot proposal would likely have a positive outcome for workers in Michigan, why should supporters have to spend millions of dollars and countless hours and energy on an issue that could easily be decided by the elected officials who are supposed to protect us?
The Campaign for Smokefree Air and the Michigan State Medical Society urge lawmakers to come together and pass a clean bill without exemptions and carve-outs. The evidence is clear, the debate needs to conclude and lawmakers must act now to pass smokefree legislation to protect Michigan’s workforce. This is an issue that isn’t going to go away.
Julie L. Novak is executive director of the Michigan State Medical Society.
2 responses so far ↓
1 Mike // Jun 2, 2009 at 9:29 am
What the Campaign for Smokefree Air and the state medicial society fail to acknowledge in this debate is that all 37 of those states have some exemptions, including New York, which exempts cigar bars and tobacco shops — businesses that rely on tobacco.
Apparently, these groups really want to close all tobacco-based businesses. Perhaps if they had more flexibility, instead of staking out the same position every year, they’d have some success.
2 FK // Jun 10, 2009 at 11:56 am
13With all due respect, regardless of the medical community viewpoints, nobody has ever died from second hand smoke. If we want to eliminate second hand smoke problems…no fireworks, no car emissions, no fireplaces or anything that has to wood smoke, no burning of leaves or garden stuff.
Enough is enough. There is no stand up data that shows second hand smoke ever killed anyone. MSMS, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association and all the other medical co-horts in crime need to admit the fact that affuluent particulates can exabarate an existing condition but doesn’t kill anyone…and that they have been advancing the EPA study done years ago that was ruled by the jucidal system as a fabrication and judged that that Braun study should be ignored.
Shame on the alleged health care professionals that continue to advance a misnomer.
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