Smoke-Free Air
LinksSurgeon General's SHS Report
Restaurants and Bars
Apartments
Smoke-Free Laws
SURGEON GENERAL'S REPORTThe June 27, 2006 release of the U.S. Surgeon General’s report ( click for report) on the health consequences of exposure to secondhand smoke unequivocally establishes smoke-free environments as a pressing public health issue. The report states that there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke and that eliminating smoking in indoor spaces fully protects nonsmokers from exposure. The scientific evidence indicates that separating smokers from nonsmokers, cleaning the air, and ventilating buildings cannot eliminate exposures. Secondhand smoke exposure is now the second leading cause of preventable death, and in Ottawa County, one person dies every 6 days from secondhand smoke exposure. This wonderful nine minute overview video on secondhand smoke shown during the Surgeon General's press conference in June is now available on YouTube.
The video is entitled "Secondhand Smoke Triumphs and Tragedies" and helps to put a human face on the issue."
Testimonials:
“The idea of being a smoke-free facility was driven by the idea of taking care of our employees. We feel it is the right of every human being to decide what they deem appropriate in regards to smoking. However, we felt hat it was not fair to have our employees subjected to someone else’s personal choice.” - New Holland Brewery, Holland, MI |
- Smoke-free Dining Options available throughout Ottawa County click here.
- Smoke-free restaurants and bars in other towns and cities in Michigan click here.
- Smoke-Free Restaurants and Bars Campaign: See Press Page.
SMOKE-FREE GRANTSSmoke-Free Ottawa received grants from the Holland Zeeland Area Community Foundation and the Michigan Department of Community Health for a campaign in 2007 to increase the number of smoke-free restaurants in Ottawa County. Smoke-Free Ottawa has produced a Smoke-Free Dining Coupon Booklet for Ottawa County that is FREE! Restaurants and bars who committed to being smoke-free by April 1 were invited to feature a discount in the booklet. Booklets are available at local featured restaurants, area festivals, and many other locations. Contact us if you would like some for yourself or your business. So far, 20 restaurants have made the decision to put employee and patron health first and have 100% smoke-free indoor air. Click on their names to visit their websites. You can see a listing of all the smoke-free restaurants and bars by city at www.smokefreemichigan.org. PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS
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Anchor Inn - July 2007 Coopersville, MI |
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Arboreal Inn - February 2007 Spring Lake, MI |
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Crazy Horse Steakhouse - February 2007 Holland, MI |
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Higher Ground Coffee House - August 2007 Coopersville, MI |
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Hog Wild BBQ - opened smoke-free February 2007 Holland, MI |
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Jackie’s Place - December 2006 Holland, MI |
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James Street Inn - February 2007 Holland, MI |
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Jimmy Johns - opened smoke-free January 2007 Allendale, MI |
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Jeanne’s Café - February 2007 Grand Haven, MI |
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Java Oasis - opened smoke-free January 2007 Coopersville, MI |
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Joe 2 Go - opened smoke-free January 2007 Holland, MI |
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Mama’s House - May 2007 Holland, MI |
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Mr. Burger - August 2007 Hudsonville, MI |
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Ottawa Beach Inn - April 2007 Holland, MI |
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Parkway Inn - March 2007 Holland, MI |
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Pine Street Café - February 2007 Ferrysburg, MI |
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Ponderosa Steak House - August 2007 Holland, MI |
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Red Robin - chain-wide January 2007 |
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S Night Club - Fall 2007 Holland, MI |
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Subs-N-More - February 2007 Holland, MI |
SMOKE-FREE POLICY TOOLKITSmoke-Free Ottawa has also produced a Smoke-Free Policy Toolkit for establishments considering adopting a 100% smoke-free policy. Please contact us for your free toolkit and smoke-free signs. Since 85% of adults in Ottawa County don’t smoke, many establishments may find that their business improves with smoke-free air. For more information on why it makes sense to be smoke-free, see our brochure Going Smoke-Free Makes Dollars and Sense and view this 6 minute video “ The Economic Benefits of Smoke-Free Policy”(right click - save as).
Smoke-Free Ottawa supports landlords in their decision to implement smoke-free policies for the rental units. Smoke-free aparmtent policies are a great choice for many reasons. A smoke-free building can:
· Provide legal protection
· Reduce maintenance costs
· Attract new tenants
· Reduce turnover of current tenants - both smokers and nonsmokers
For more information and resources on why and how to be smoke-free we encourage you to visit these websites:
Background:
In 2006, U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona released a report on The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke. Scientific evidence indicates that there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke. The Surgeon General's conclusion was that indoor smoke-free policies are the most economic and effective approach for providing protection from secondhand smoke and, of all other options, provide the greatest health impact.
Many public areas across the country now support smoke-free indoor air, which benefits nonsmokers susceptible to secondhand smoke as well as smokers trying to kick the habit. It has the added bonus of shaping a cultural norm which discourages our youth from beginning a life long habit that threatens their lives and the lives of others.
Ottawa County:
Smoke-Free Ottawa encourages and advocates for the implementation of smoke-free indoor air policies in public buildings and in the workplace. Local governments may elect to pass city ordinances or county public health code regulations to implement clean indoor air within their boundaries. State law does not allow local governments to regulate smoking-free policy in food service establishments. |
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On Tuesday August 28, 2007 Ottawa County Commissioners voted 7 - 3 to pass a public health code regulation to eliminate indoor smoking in workplaces and public buildings. The regulation also provides for a 25' distance from entrances, operable windows and ventilation intakes. Shared business vehicles, bingo halls, and 80% of hotel and motel rooms are also required to be smoke-free. Food service establishments are exempt from the regulation due to state law. Please visit Smoke-Free Ottawa's homepage for a link to thank our commissioners for their commitment to protect residents from involuntary exposure to secondhand smoke, a known carcinogen.
Michigan:
Currently in Michigan, 20 counties and 4 cities have passed smoke-free indoor air policies for worksites and public buildings that now cover 46.9% of the total Michigan population! An additional 4 counties have voted to approve regulations, but they are part of multi-county health disticts which require that each county in the health district must pass a smoke-free indoor air regulation before it can be implemented View Map. At the level of the state legislature, there is currently one bill sponsored in the House and two bills sponsored in the Senate. This is the eighth year that comprehensive smoke-free indoor air policy bills have been sponsored. In the past, these bills have not made it out of committee. For the first time, in the summer of 2007, public hearings have been held on the bills by the House Commerce Committee and the House version of the bill has been recommended back to the House floor.
For more information and to contact legislators with your comments:
SB 109
Sponsors: Raymond Basham - (primary), Thomas George, Gilda Jacobs, Bruce Patterson, Martha Scott, Hansen Clarke, Mark Schauer
SB 110
Sponsors: Thomas George - (primary), Raymond Basham, Gilda Jacobs, Martha Scott, Mark Schauer, Roger Kahn, Bruce Patterson
HB 4163
Around the Globe:
Smoke-Free Indoor Air reform is sweeping the U.S. and the globe. The following states and countries have passed legislation protecting nonsmokers from involuntary exposure to secondhand smoke:
States:
Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington, are the 31 Smoke-free States plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico that prohibit smoking in many public places (varying combination of all or some worksites, restaurants, and bars).
Countries:
Australia, Bangladesh, Denmark, India, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Norway, Sweden, New Zeeland, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, England, France, Lithuania, Uruguay, Puerto Rico, Bhutan, Bermuda, Uganda, Malta, Hong Kong and most Canadian provinces
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