"CLEARING THE AIR"

“Failure to ban smoking in outdoor public venues may expose non-smokers to levels of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) as high or higher than received in indoor spaces where smoking is unrestricted." (James Repace, "Banning Outdoor Smoking is Scientifically Justifiable", Tobacco Control Digest, March 2000)

• 82 Percent of Californians do not smoke. (1998 California Adult Tobacco Survey)

• More than 4,700 nonsmoking Californians are killed and tens of thousands more sickened each year by secondhand smoke. Eleven major health problems are caused in nonsmokers by secondhand smoke (environmental tobacco smoke) including respiratory disease, lung and nasal sinus cancer and heart disease. (Scientific Review Panel on Toxic Air Contaminants and California EPA, Sacramento Bee June 21,1997)

• The California State Legislature recently passed a statewide ban on smoking within 25 feet of outdoor playground areas designated for children. (CA Health & Safety Code 104495) The cities of Modesto, San Ramon, Berkeley, Calexico (Imperial County) and the County of Stanislaus have passed ordinances creating smoke-free outdoor playgrounds, kiddy carnivals, zoos, tot lots, wading pools and skate parks. Sacramento's Fairytale Town and the Los Angeles Zoo restrict all smoking on their premises. (BREATH--The California Smoke-Free Workplaces and Communities Program, A Statewide Project of the American Lung Association- August 2002)

• All types of businesses, public and private are legally entitled to create policies which restrict outdoor smoking on their outside premises. State and Federal Courts have found that there is no legal “right to smoke”. Therefore, private businesses such as the Northridge Mall in Los Angeles County and the Market Fest event in Redding have responded to customer requests by choosing to ban smoking in outdoor dining and shopping areas.

• Communities such as the Cities of Davis, Oakland, Sacramento and Calexico and the Counties of San Mateo, Monterey, Marin, Sacramento and Yolo have enacted ordinances or policies restricting smoking in entryways or doorways. These are just a few of the communities that have made entryways to their city or county facilities safe from airborne carcinogens caused by secondhand tobacco smoke. (BREATH-- The California Smoke-Free Workplaces and Communities Program, A Statewide Project of the American Lung Association- August 2002)

• Business owners around California are recognizing the need to make their outdoor patios free of tobacco smoke. John Shannahan, manager of Starbucks in Auburn, CA declared the decision to go smoke-free on their outdoor dining patio was an easy one: "People wanted to sit in a smoke-free environment. Ninety percent of our customers have responded positively to our decision to go smoke-free, outdoors. We've gained customers who enjoy a smoke-free environment. Most Californians don't smoke; we should cater to the majority, not the minority."

BREATH --The California Smoke-Free Bars, Workplaces and Communities Program

A Statewide Project of the American Lung Association of the East Bay and

For More Information Contact BREATH (1-800-622-2829) E-Mail: breath @jps.net

This material was made possible by funds received from the Tobacco Tax Health Protection Act of 1988—

Proposition 99, under Grant # 00-90379 and 99-85066 with the California Department of Health Services,

Tobacco Control Section. Rev. 08/02