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The Pennsylvania House on July 16 voted 141 to 62 to approve comprehensivesmoke-free legislation that covers restaurants, bars and casinos, and repealspre-emptive language that prohibits most local governments from enactingsmoke-free laws. But prior to the House vote -- and in stark contrast to thatchamber's strong bill -- the Senate approved loophole-filled legislation thatfails to protect all workers and would exempt casinos, some restaurants andbars, nursing homes and other adult-care centers, and even small home-baseddaycare centers. The Senate bill would also overturn existing local smoke-free laws and prohibit local governments from enacting stronger smoke-freelaws in the future.
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The next step in the legislative process would be the appointment of aHouse-Senate conference committee to negotiate the final legislation.
The new advertising campaign focuses on the serious health risks ofsecondhand smoke, the growing number of states that have enacted comprehensivesmoke-free laws and the strong public and editorial support for acomprehensive law in Pennsylvania.
"What's Pennsylvania waiting for? With a comprehensive statewide smoke-free law, we can protect everyone's right to breathe clean air," the radio adstates.
The ad campaign is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Alliance to ControlTobacco (PACT), Pennsylvania Restaurant Association, American Cancer Society,American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Robert Wood JohnsonFoundation, Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights, and Campaign for Tobacco-FreeKids. It is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. To view and listento the ads, go to http://www.pactonline.org and scroll down to the bottom ofthe page.
"Secondhand smoke is a proven cause of lung cancer, heart disease andother serious illnesses," said Bill Corr, Executive Director of the Campaignfor Tobacco-Free Kids. "With a comprehensive smoke-free law in Pennsylvania,we can ensure that no one has to choose between their health and theirpaycheck."
Patrick Conway, CEO of the Pennsylvania Restaurant Association, added, "Itwould be totally unacceptable for Pennsylvania to have two classes of citizens-- those we protect and those we don't protect from the deadly pollutants insecondhand smoke."
The newspaper and radio ads make the following points:
-- Secondhand smoke is a serious public health hazard. In issuing alandmark report on secondhand smoke in June 2006, the U.S. Surgeon Generalstated, "The debate is over. The science is clear: Secondhand smoke is not amere annoyance, but a serious health hazard that causes premature death anddisease in children and nonsmoking adults." Secondhand smoke contains morethan 4,000 chemicals, including at least 69 known to cause cancer. Accordingto the Surgeon General, secondhand smoke is proven to cause lung cancer, heartdisease, serious respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis and asthma, lowbirth weight and sudden infant death syndrome. It is responsible for tens ofthousands of deaths in the United States each year. The Surgeon General alsofound that there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke; theonly way to protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke is with comprehensivesmoke-free workplaces and public places; and smoke-free laws do not hurtbusiness.
-- Pennsylvanians deserve the same protections from secondhand smoke - andthe same right to breathe clean air -- that more than half of all Americansalready have. The ads point out that 22 states have passed smoke-free lawsthat include restaurants and bars, including almost all of Pe
