Overview
The Centers for Disease Control has concluded there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke, the third leading cause of preventable death in America. As a result, over 1,000 cities and several states have taken action to protect the public by banning smoking inside all workplaces, including bars and restaurants.
That's why Illinois PIRG has worked with the Smoke-Free Illinois coalition to help pass a ban on smoking in all workplaces, including bars and restaurants. We are continuing to work with the coalition to prevent any attacks that would weaken the new law that went into effect in January 2008.
Just as regulations have been established to set health and safety standards in workplaces, a ban on smoking is critical to protect the health of patrons of restaurants and bars as well as employees. Secondhand smoke contains 69 different kinds of chemicals which cause cancer. Secondhand smoke kills at least 53,000 nonsmokers a year, including 3,000 lung cancer deaths and 35,000 coronary heart disease deaths. Exposure to secondhand smoke is associated with an increased risk for respiratory infections, asthma, sudden infant death syndrome and lower chronic ear infections among children.
Unfortunately, the tobacco industry and the Illinois Restaurant Association are working to stop these critical health protections. Across the country, the tobacco industry has been the lead opponent to these laws and have funded studies and used anecdotal claims of lost revenues to fight smoke-free laws. The truth is, not a single peer-reviewed study that used objective measures has found smoke-free policies to impact the economic health of restaurants and bars. In fact, New York City bars and restaurants saw a 12 percent increase since the city's smoke-free ordinance went into effect in March 2003.
Smoke-free laws save lives. In contrast to claims of lost business and scare tactics by the tobacco industry, Illinoisans can expect one concrete impact from a smoke-free workplace ordinance: cleaner air and better public health.
