The Smoke-Free Movement
The fight is just beginning
On Saturday, the State Journal-Reporter published an article stating that state-wide smoke-free legislation is not being favorably regarded by state politicians. According to the SJ-R, a good number of state legislators believe that smoking should be a local control issue left for individual municipalities to decide upon on their own.
While over 30 Illinois communities have adopted 100 percent comprehensive smoke-free legislation, which is terrific, still over half of all Illinois citizens and workers are unprotected from the dangers posed by secondhand smoke. If Illinois businesses truly want "a level playing field," then the state government should act to provide one for them by passing a state-wide smoke-free law covering all places of business including restaurants and bars.
The science is clear, ill-effects of secondhand smoke are universally recognized, and smoke-free laws have been shown to have little to no effect on business, so Illinois can accept nothing less than a 100 percent comprehensive clean-air law.
This article does show that we have our work cut out for us, but the smoke-free movement is a totally grassroots movement, and our job within that movement is to tell the politicians what the community wants. More specifically, our challenge here is to inform the Senate and House leadership what the members already know: constituents from all over the state and from all different demographics are beginning to demand protection from secondhand smoke in the work environment and in all public places.
While over 30 Illinois communities have adopted 100 percent comprehensive smoke-free legislation, which is terrific, still over half of all Illinois citizens and workers are unprotected from the dangers posed by secondhand smoke. If Illinois businesses truly want "a level playing field," then the state government should act to provide one for them by passing a state-wide smoke-free law covering all places of business including restaurants and bars.
The science is clear, ill-effects of secondhand smoke are universally recognized, and smoke-free laws have been shown to have little to no effect on business, so Illinois can accept nothing less than a 100 percent comprehensive clean-air law.
This article does show that we have our work cut out for us, but the smoke-free movement is a totally grassroots movement, and our job within that movement is to tell the politicians what the community wants. More specifically, our challenge here is to inform the Senate and House leadership what the members already know: constituents from all over the state and from all different demographics are beginning to demand protection from secondhand smoke in the work environment and in all public places.