Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Monona votes for smoke-free, next city to pass smoke-free restaurant and bar ordinance

Monona alders responded to an incredible show of constituent support and pressure last night by voting in favor of a smoke-free ordinance. The ordinance provides smoke-free protection in all workplaces, including restaurants, bowling alleys, and bars. It will go into effect June 1, 2009.

Congratulations to our advocates on the ground, who walked door-to-door gathering input from their community. It was the work of BreatheFree Monona that brought this ordinance around!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I find it peculiar that you would choose to use the phrase "smoke free protection."

Who exactly is being protected from what?

The whole concept really makes no sense to me. I would appreciate it if you could break it all down and really explain how it is that the smoke free law protects grown adults.

SmokeFree Wisconsin said...

Secondhand smoke causes heart disease, lung cancer, and other life threatening illnesses, even in "grown adults." Providing smoke-free environments for all workers protects them from the health risks caused by this deadly substance.

Austin said...

My step mom, Pam, worked in a tobacco-filled environment for the better part of 20 years as a journalist. Without the kind of protection a smoke-free city like Monona offers, Pam was given a choice: give up her job and her passion for journalism, or continue working in a potentially harmful environment. She chose to keep working. In 2005, some twenty years after newspaper offices went smoke-free, Pam died of a smoker's cancer. Who exactly is being protected from what? With smoke-free protection like the ban in Monona, people like Pam, hardworking nonsmokers, are being protected from the deadly habits of their coworkers, customers, and clients.