Restaurant Press Releases

Secondhand Smoke and Restaurant Health and Safety

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

Since the early 1990's when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency declared secondhand smoke a Class A carcinogen, tobacco smoke in public environments, and particularly restaurants, has been at the center of health and safety debate. There are more than 43 carcinogens in secondhand smoke.

These toxins are responsible for 53,000 lung and cardiovascular disease deaths annually. Children who are exposed to secondhand smoke have four times higher rates of ear and respiratory infections, and many times higher rates of asthma as well.

The question becomes - should laws be passed to protect customers and workers from the poisons in secondhand smoke, or should restaurateurs be allowed to decide individually what, if any, smoking restrictions they should apply?

Many restaurateurs argue that the decision on whether or not to allow smoking in their restaurant is a matter of freedom of choice that they, as business owners, have the right to make. They claim the government already has too many laws regulating their industry and that they don't need one more.

Freedom of choice does, however, have limits when it comes to matters of health and safety.

Restaurateurs acknowledge, even encourage, the government's role in many other health and safety issues. To prevent the spread of e.coli, hepatitis, salmonella and other food-borne illnesses, restaurateurs abide by uniform food handling standards. They agree that blood-alcohol levels cannot be determined by individual choice, but must follow government-set legal limits.

Disregarding the 43 carcinogens in secondhand smoke as an insignificant health and safety issue is a negligent policy for restaurant workers and customers alike. Government does have a role in health and safety. Expecting restaurateurs to voluntarily govern secondhand smoke risks is as unrealistic as thinking they should individually develop food safety or blood alcohol standards.

The tobacco industry worked tirelessly to debunk and delay acknowledgment of the health risks in firsthand smoke. Restaurateurs should not look to that industry for guidance on secondhand smoke. To eliminate the serious health risks of secondhand smoke, they should follow the recommendations of the American Lung and Heart Associations, and Cancer Society, and ban smoking in the workplace.