PA Smokefree Workplace Law Proposed by Senator Greenleaf

HARRISBURG -- Sen. Stewart J. Greenleaf wants Pennsylvania to join the seven states that have enacted comprehensive smokefree workplace laws –laws that extend smoking bans to all workplaces, including bars and restaurants.

Greenleaf, who has sponsored smokefree public places legislation for almost a decade, is proposing a new version with an emphasis on worker safety. "This measure will offer health benefits to patrons of commercial establishments as well, but the greatest positive health impact will be for the employees of workplaces where smoking is currently permitted," Greenleaf said.

The states of California, Delaware, New York, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island have laws banning smoking in all workplaces. The states of Florida, Vermont, Utah, and Idaho prohibit smoking in restaurants and other workplaces, but not in bars.

"All workers deserve the clean indoor air that this legislation would ensure," said Greenleaf. "Secondhand smoke is a carcinogen and people should not have to risk their health to hold a job." Greenleaf noted that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a warning in April that people at risk of heart disease should avoid all buildings and gathering places allowing indoor smoking. The CDC's advisory asked doctors to warn people with heart problems that secondhand smoke can increase their risk of heart attack and that as little as 30 minutes of exposure can cause serious problems.

Secondhand smoke causes 53,000 deaths each year in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute. A Pennsylvania smokefree workplace law would be a step toward reducing that number, especially among workers in restaurants and bars. Such a law may also be a step toward reducing overall smoking rates. Delaware, with one of the most comprehensive laws, last month reported that smoking rates dropped 11 percent in the state in 2003. New York City's smoking rates declined by the same amount between 2002 and 2003.

The senator noted that businesses that might be expected to be most affected by state smokefree workplace laws have fared well under the restriction. Business tax receipts from restaurants and bars have gone up nearly nine percent in New York City since the smokefree workplace law took effect in March 2003. Restaurant business in Florida increased by more than seven percent since a voter-approved referendum went into effect in July 2003, according to a study by the University of Florida's Bureau of Economic and Business Research. During the same period, revenues in Florida bars, which are exempt from the smoking ban, did not change significantly, according to the study. California restaurants also experienced a boost in sales in after enactment of a comprehensive smokefree workplace law.

In addition to increased profits, smokefree establishments may benefit from less maintenance costs, from less employee absence due to sickness, and from discounted fire and property insurance rates. "The greatest benefits, however, will accrue to the employees who do not have to breathe secondhand smoke as a condition of employment. This legislation is a simple matter of providing a safe workplace without serious health risks. Pennsylvania's public health advocacy groups have made great strides encouraging voluntary workplace changes that have provided the majority of workers in Pennsylvania with clean air on the job. Our goal now is to provide 100 percent of the Pennsylvania workforce with smokefree air," Greenleaf said.