The Smoke-Free Movement

Smoke-Free Illinois Act will help all of state’s residents


By CLEMENT ROSE

Published Tuesday, June 26, 2007


Illinois is on the cusp of a historic public health breakthrough.

Based on the recent action by the Illinois General Assembly to pass the Smoke-Free Illinois Act, coupled with Governor Rod Blagojevich’s public commitment to “enthusiastically” sign the bill into law, all Illinois workers, residents and visitors soon will have the opportunity to breathe cleaner air when the law goes into effect in January 2008.

Tens of thousands of American Cancer Society volunteers in partnership with thousands of other coalition partners across the state of Illinois worked for a very long time to make this day a reality. On May 3 in Springfield, nearly 1,000 American Cancer Society volunteers were thrilled when Dr. Eric Whitaker, the director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, reiterated to them on behalf of the governor that the Smoke-Free Illinois Act would be signed into law.

This groundbreaking legislation will improve the state of public health in Illinois by prohibiting smoking in all workplaces, including restaurants and bars, beginning in January. The American Cancer Society salutes the 73 members of the Illinois House and the 34 state senators who defied Big Tobacco and embraced a healthier, more cancer-free Illinois by voting “yes” for the Smoke-Free Illinois Act.

We salute Governor Blagojevich for his commitment to make Smoke-Free Illinois the law of the land. Illinois will now join 24 other states in mandating that everyone deserves the right to breathe clean, smoke-free air no matter where they live or work.

Secondhand smoke is a major public health issue and the third leading cause of preventable death in America and in Illinois.

Here’s what we can look forward to with the passage of the Smoke-Free Illinois Act:

nHealthier workplaces: One eight- hour shift in a smoke-filled workplace is the equivalent of smoking 16 cigarettes.

nReduced cancer incidence and mortality rates: Workers exposed to secondhand smoke are 20 to 30 percent more likely to develop cancer.

nImproved public health: Secondhand smoke causes heart attacks, pneumonia, lung cancer, coronary heart disease, emphysema, acute respiratory infections, ear disease, and asthma. In Illinois about 2,900 people die each year - that’s eight people every day – from exposure to secondhand smoke.

nLower health-care costs: The cost of diagnosis and treatment of the uninsured for diseases caused by exposure to secondhand smoke falls on the taxpayer-funded public health-care system, as well as on those employers who provide health-care coverage for their employees. Workers in the hospitality industry in particular are the least likely in our society to enjoy health insurance coverage. The Society of Actuaries estimates non-smokers’ exposure to secondhand smoke costs America $10 billion annually.

While it took a lot of work to get us to this point, in many ways, the real work has yet to begin.

As we’ve already learned from our local smoke-free efforts over the past two years, proper implementation of smoke-free policies requires time for businesses and citizens to be properly educated on the new law, and for government agencies to construct processes that allow clear and effective enforcement.

By signing the bill quickly, Governor Blagojevich can help ensure a smooth implementation of this new, life-saving policy.

The facts are clear: the Smoke-Free Illinois Act will save lives, prevent disease, diminish suffering and reduce health-care costs.

That’s great news for all Illinoisans! To find out more, visit www.smokefreeillinois.net.

Dr. Clement Rose is president of the American Cancer Society - Illinois Division.

Posted by Smoke-Free Illinois at 8:05 AM | Permalink | Comments   

State Journal-Register
Published Sunday, June 24, 2007


Nix smoke ban exemption for casinos

THE RULE of thumb is, "Nothing is ever really dead in the General Assembly." That certainly appears true for an effort to exempt the state's riverboat casinos from the comprehensive smoking ban that was approved this session. The ban legislation awaits the governor's signature.

Ever since the statewide smoking ban legislation passed, the riverboat folks have been scrambling to find a legislative way out of the new smoking restrictions.

A generic bill concerning the horse racing industry - Senate Bill 890 - was amended several times this session to create a bill that would exempt casinos from the smoking ban. One of those amendments finally came up for a vote on the final day of regular session, May 31.

That amendment added riverboat casinos to the short list of areas exempted from the smoking ban. It would have had granted this exemption for five years. But the senators did not accept the need for such an exemption, voting the measure down 31 nays to 26 yes votes.


UNFORTUNATELY, the push to continue forcing patrons of Illinois' riverboat casinos to breathe secondhand smoke did not end there. But that push did get much more secretive and weaselly - as tends to be the case when people get desperate in the General Assembly.

A bill - Senate Bill 1370 - that originally would amend the Beer Industry Fair Dealing Act and which passed the Senate 57-0 was gutted last week in the House. Out went the beer; in went the smoking ban exemption.

Such wholesale amendments are commonplace. But in this case, the amendment was placed in the bill in executive committee. The amendment was then immediately adopted. No public posting was made to allow possible opponents to have their say in the committee meeting. This was dirty pool.

"You can always look at amendments that are supposed to be heard in committee ahead of time. Every day we go in and look at all the amendments that have been put out there to see if there is anything that affects us," said Kathy Drea, director of public policy for the American Lung Association of Illinois.

Typically, the amendment is sent to the rules committee, where it is then assigned to another committee for a hearing and vote. This gives people time to react to the legislation. At least that's the process a legislator would describe if he or she were speaking at the Morning Optimist Club's meeting at Bob Evans. But that's not necessarily the process desperate legislators follow when trying to shove a bad bill through. "In this case it did not go through rules committee at all," said Drea.


THERE'S STILL TIME to stop this bill. And it should be stopped. There is no good reason to subject gamblers to secondhand smoke. A statewide poll showed only 29 percent of people favoring an exemption for riverboats.

The people pushing this legislation are using "the sky is falling" economic argument, saying the casinos will be financially destroyed by a smoking ban. In late 2002, the state of Delaware went smoke-free in public places. Dire predictions were made. Here's what Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner says about that: "Conversely, there are more restaurants and bars licensed in Delaware now than when the act went into effect. Delaware's three slot-machine casinos have all experienced their highest revenue periods in the last two years."

So much for that argument. No wonder pro-smoking lawmakers feel the need to break the rules to get this passed. They can't turn to logic for support.

Posted by Smoke-Free Illinois at 6:58 AM | Permalink | Comments