Restaurant Press Releases

KIISS Works to Eliminate Secondhand Smoke in Restaurants

CONTACT:
Paul McIntyre or
Anne Naughton
(916) 780-0226

Kids Involuntarily Inhaling Secondhand Smoke (KIISS), a nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating kids' exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) and its multiple health risks, will celebrate January 2002, as California commemorates seven years of smoke-free workplaces. Using the success of smoking bans in such a culturally and economically diverse state as California, KIISS works to educate the restaurant industry nationwide about the benefits and feasibility of becoming smoke-free.

Members of KIISS' founding board were instrumental in passing AB 13, the law that banned smoking in all California workplaces in 1995. While critics of the ban condemned it as a potential disaster, foretelling huge economic loss in business for all restaurants, in fact the opposite has occurred. California's restaurant business has increased at a rate of four to eight percent each year since the ban was passed.

Restaurants throughout the state are now 100 percent smoke-free with bars, which were not required to ban smoking until 1998, now in the 90-95 percent compliancy range.

Yet despite such success in California, few states have followed its lead, continuing to expose people everywhere to the hazards of secondhand smoke. Since the smoker inhales only 15 percent of the smoke from a cigarette, the rest (85 percent) goes into the air, releasing thousands of toxins like formaldehyde, arsenic, ammonia, lead, and carbon monoxide that are inhaled by passive smokers.

The toxins in secondhand smoke lead to a number of health problems, particularly in children, who are the most susceptible. For them, being exposed to SHS on a regular basis results in four times greater risk for contracting illnesses like bronchitis, pneumonia, and ear and lower respiratory tract infections. SHS is also a major contributor to asthma, the leading cause of school absenteeism nationwide. Adults too, are at risk when exposed to secondhand smoke. According to the World Health Organization, SHS in America results in 3,000 lung cancer deaths, and 35,000 - 62,000 cardiovascular deaths in nonsmokers each year.

Separate smoking and non-smoking sections are only marginally effective, and ventilation systems merely reduce odor -- they do not eliminate toxic chemicals. Paul McIntyre, President and CEO of KIISS states, "The benefits in terms of indoor air quality in California have been incredible. It's amazing to walk into a bar or restaurant and see it packed with people having a good time, without the annoyances and dangers of secondhand smoke permeating the premises."

To prevent these problems and protect public health, KIISS hopes to educate restaurateurs about the viability of smoking bans throughout the nation. Consumers can help in that process by obtaining a KIISS pamphlet and decals on going smoke-free to share with their favorite restaurateur. For more information, visit our web site at www.kiiss.org