[C-U Smokefree] More smokefree victories (fwd)

[Daniel S. Lewart]

C-U Smokefree Alliance,

Below is great news that Kathy Drea forwarded!

C-U Smokefree!
Dan
http://www.cu-smokefree.org/

>-----Original Message-----
>From: smokefree [mailto:SMOKEFREE at compuserve.com] 
>Sent: Tuesday, July 06, 2004 3:50 PM
>To: Health Advocates
>Subject: [bg-announce]More smokefree victories
>
>Following are news excerpts about new smokefree laws in Massachusetts, 
>Rhode Island, Columbus (OH), Idaha, Lawrence (KS), Lincoln, (NE), 
>Albuquerque (NM) & Saskatoon (Canada), and new studies finding 
>increased sales in Florida and Montgomery County (MD) after smokefree 
>laws were implemented.     
>
>To win smokefree air where YOU live, go to
>http://www.smokefree.net/alerts.php
>- - - 
>
>BUTTS OUTSIDE IN MASS.
>
>Associated Press
>2004-07-06
>http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1712&dept_id=24361&newsid=1222571
>9&P
>AG=461&rfi=9
>
>At The Fours, a restaurant and sports bar in Quincy, most smokers
>greeted
>Massachusetts' new statewide smoking ban Monday with a shrug and walked
>outside when they got the urge to light up.
>
>The ban, which went into effect Monday after weeks of publicity,
>prohibits
>smoking in all restaurants, bars and workplaces in Massachusetts.
>
>The action in Massachusetts may hold implications for Rhode Island,
>where a
>bill outlawing smoking in most workplaces is set to take effect take
>effect
>early next year. Gov. Donald Carcieri signed the bill last week.
>
>Workplace smoking bans had been adopted earlier in about 100 cities and
>towns in Massachusetts, including Boston. Smokers in those communities
>had
>become accustomed to going without cigarettes while indoors. But in
>cities
>such as Quincy, which allowed smoking right up until the statewide ban
>went
>into effect, there was a definite clearing of the air Monday.
>
>"People have noticed how nice it is with no smoking here," said Ed
>Morris,
>manager of The Fours.
>excerpt
>- - -
>
>SMOKING BILL IS SIGNED, BAN BEGINS ON MARCH 1
>Subtitle: The law allows local communities to adopt their own, more
>stringent, smoking rules.
>
>By Cathleen F. Crowley
>Providence (RI) Journal-Bulletin
>2004-07-01
>http://www.projo.com/news/content/projo_20040701_smoke1.2b5bad4e9.html
>
>PROVIDENCE -- Come March 1, smoking will be illegal in most public
>places
>across the state.
>
>Governor Carcieri signed the smoking ban into law on Tuesday, making
>Rhode
>Island the seventh state to go smoke-free.
>
>The law is intended to protect workers from secondhand smoke. It
>prohibits
>smoking in bars, offices, malls, taxis, houses used for child care or
>adult
>daycare, and cars and trucks used by more than one person for work.
>
>"Thanks to this new law, Rhode Island will be a healthier place to live,
>work and breathe," said Jim Beardsworth, spokesman for the Rhode Island
>chapter of the American Cancer Society.
>excerpt
>- - - - 
>
>COLUMBUS CITY COUNCIL PASSES SMOKING BAN
>
>WBNS-10TV CBS (Columbus, OH)
>2004-06-28
>http://www.10tv.com/Global/story.asp?S=1975160&nav=LUESOGVZ
>
>The Columbus City Council approved a proposed citywide ban on smoking in
>public places Monday night.
>
>It includes restaurants, bars, bowling alleys and bingo halls.
>
>But the issue still could go to a vote of the people.
>
>Opponents would have 30 days to collect about 5,000 valid signatures of
>registered voters to put it on the November ballot.
>
>The signatures would have to be in and verified, and a ballot issue
>submitted by 4 p.m. on August 19th for a November vote. After that, it
>would be bumped to the May primary.
>
>Jacob Evans of the Coalition for Customer Choice, which represents ban
>opponents, said his group hasn't talked formally about a referendum, nor
>have tobacco companies offered any kind of support should it come to
>that.
>
>He says the focus so far has been on trying to get a smoking law that
>business owners can live with. 
>- - - -
>
>PUBLIC BUILDING SMOKING BAN STARTS TODAY
>
>By Holden Parrish
>Idaho State Journal
>2004-07-01
>http://www.journalnet.com/articles/2004/07/01/news/local/news09.txt
>
>POCATELLO - Starting today, smoking in most public buildings will be
>prohibited under the Idaho Clean Indoor Air Act.
>
>The ban applies to offices, retail stores, restaurants, hospitals,
>schools,
>concert halls and indoor sports arenas. Bars and bowling alleys are
>exempt.
>
>Idaho's business owners have had more than three months to get ready for
>the law, which was passed during this year's legislative session. The
>act
>states public buildings must go smokeless or restrict clientele to 21
>and
>older.
>excerpt
>- - - -
>
>LAWRENCE ENACTS BROAD SMOKING BAN
>Subtitle: If people have to work in a place, you can't smoke there.
>
>Associated Press 
>2004-07-01
>http://www.kansas.com/mld/eagle/news/local/9053086.htm
>
>LAWRENCE, KS  - Patrons no longer have to ask whether and where they may
>smoke in Lawrence restaurants and bars. Starting at 12:01 a.m. Thursday,
>the answer is "no, not here."
>
>Under a broad new ordinance that adds restrictions to those in place
>since
>1987, indoor smoking is banned in Lawrence "in all enclosed facilities
>within a place of employment... ."
>excerpt
>- - - 
>
>LINCOLN CITY COUNCIL APPROVES MORE-RIGID SMOKING BAN
>
>Associated Press 
>2004-06-29
>http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_np=0&u_pg=1638&u_sid=1135344
>
>LINCOLN, NE  - The Lincoln City Council voted Monday night to scrap the
>smoking ban it passed late last year and go with the original, more
>rigid
>ordinance.
>
>The partial ban was passed 5-2 in December and would have allowed
>smoking
>in businesses where food makes up less than 60 percent of total sales.
>It
>also would have given businesses leeway for separate smoking rooms.
>
>The all-out ban that passed Monday 4-3 nearly mirrors the original
>version
>proposed by the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department a year ago.
>excerpt
>- - - -
>
>SMOKING AT SOME BARS NOW OUTLAWED
>
>By Ed Asher
>Albuquerque (NM) Tribune
>2004-07-01
>http://www.abqtrib.com/archives/news04/070104_news_smoke.shtml
>
>Beginning Saturday, a smoke and a drink won't mix anymore at
>Albuquerque's
>restaurant bars.
>
>Or you could say smoke won't get in your eyes the next time you go to a
>bar
>that has a dining area.
>
>The second phase of the city's antismoking ordinance kicks in Saturday,
>the
>first anniversary of the law.
>excerpt
>- - - -
>
>SASKATOON SMOKING BLYAW TAKES EFFECT
>
>CBC News (Canada)
>2004-07-01
>http://sask.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=sk_smoking20040701
>
>SASKATOON - The city's controversial anti-smoking bylaw takes effect
>Thursday, making it illegal to light up in any public place, including
>restaurants and bars.
>
>Chris Dekker, spokesperson for the City of Saskatoon, say bylaw officers
>won't be handing out fines to smokers or business owners right away.
>
>"Recognizing that this is new, it will take some time, so there'll be
>some
>leniency for the first few weeks," Dekker said, adding they likely won't
>start cracking down until September.
>
>The bylaw bans smoking in bars, restaurants, private clubs, patios
>connected to a bar or restaurant, bowling alleys, bingo halls and public
>parks during festivals.
>
>The bylaw is facing a court challenge, but in January, provincial law
>will
>ban smoking in public places across Saskatchewan.
>- - - -
>
>STUDY BOLSTERS SMOKING BAN
>Results show that restaurants have posted gains since the ban took
>effect.
>
>By Alisa Ulferts
>St. Petersburg (FL) Times
>2004-06-29
>http://www.sptimes.com/2004/06/29/State/Study_bolsters_smokin.shtml
>
>TALLAHASSEE - A constitutional amendment that banned smoking in most
>restaurants and other workplaces has not hurt those businesses,
>according
>to a university study released Monday.
>
>The University of Florida's Bureau of Economic and Business Research
>found
>that sales in restaurants, lunchrooms and catering services were up more
>than 7 percent since the smoking ban took effect last year.
>
>"When it first stopped, we had more people coming in," said Nicole St.
>Amant, a smoker and manager of Dave's restaurant in St. Petersburg.
>"We've
>done pretty well. It's actually kind of nice."
>
>Revenues in bars and taverns that were exempted from the smoking ban did
>not change significantly, according to the study.
>excerpt
>- - - -
>
>SALES RISE AFTER SMOKING BAN 
>
>Associated Press (MD)
>2004-06-29
>http://www.washtimes.com/metro/20040628-103046-7684r.htm
>
>Restaurant revenue in Montgomery County increased by almost $2 million
>in
>the six months after a countywide smoking ban took effect - a boon to
>anti-smoking advocates pushing for similar statewide bans.
>
>"One can clearly say the restaurant industry has not been harmed by the
>smoke-free restaurant law," said Montgomery County Council member Phil
>Andrews, Gaithersburg Democrat.
>
>In the six months from Oct. 9, when the ban went into effect, to March,
>restaurant industry tax revenue increased by more than 7 percent,
>compared
>with the same period a year earlier.
>
>"The fears we heard that this was going to devastate the restaurant
>industry don't appear to be true," said County Executive Douglas M.
>Duncan,
>a Democrat. "These early numbers are very encouraging."
>excerpt
>- - - -
>
>Bill Godshall
>Smokefree Pennsylvania
>1926 Monongahela Ave.
>Pittsburgh, PA 15218
>412-351-5880
>FAX 351-5881
>bill at smokescreen.org
>or
>smokefree at compuserve.com