Smoke Free Virginia Now

We just returned from our highly successful coalition meetings in Fredericksburg, Virginia Beach, Richmond and Northern Virginia.  It was great to see so many familiar faces and many new faces as well.  You all had wonderful ideas about how best to make smoke free a priority to legislators in your area.

Moving forward…

• We have our POSTCARD campaign.  Notes will be sent out to remind you of the events for which you volunteered.  As you go around town this summer and into the fall, please keep in mind places where you might be able to get cards signed.  Get in touch with us and we would be happy to send you as many cards as you need.
• We plan to create e-mail listservs in each area so you all can keep in touch to take further action without formal meetings.  If you were unable to attend the meeting but would like to be added to the listserv in  your area, please contact Nicole Pugar at Nicole@vfhf.org.
• We want to keep this contact going by setting up conference calls in the months ahead.  So keep an eye out for those!

Also, look out for our upcoming meetings in Lynchburg and Roanoke.

Virginians for a Healthy Future is meeting near you!  We want to work with you to make Virginia smoke free. 

At the meetings we will discuss:
1.  Our grassroots strategies to advocate for smoke free legislation
2.  How we can mobilize Virginians to contact their legislators
3.  What tactics you think will work in your community
4.   How you can get more involved!

Please join us for one or more of the following meetings:

Fredericksburg
Wednesday, June 18th, 1:30 pm
Mary Washington Hospital Auditorium 3 - Lower Level
1001 Sam Perry Boulevard, Fredericksburg, VA 22401

Virginia Beach
Thursday, June 19th, 10:00 am
Sentara Princess Anne - Community Room Suite 210
1925 Glenn Mitchell Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23456

Richmond
Tuesday, June 24th, 10:00 am
American Cancer Society Office - Innsbrook Office Park
4240 Park Place Court, Glen Allen, VA 23060

Northern Virginia
Wednesday, June 25th, 2:00 pm
American Cancer Society Office - Vienna
124 Park Street SE, Vienna, VA 22180

Roanoke
To be Announced

If you plan to attend the meeting - please RSVP to Nicole Pugar, Coalition Organizer at (804) 225-5828 or nicole@vfhf.org.  If you can’t attend, but would like to get involved, feel free to e-mail Nicole.

The American Cancer Society’s “Fight Back Express” bus is traveling across the country building support for making cancer issues a national priority.   While in Virginia, the Fight Back Express will be accompanied by the Smoke-Free Sidekick which is building support for smoke-free workplaces in Virginia.

The bus, along with the Smoke-Free Sidekick, will be traveling across Virginia on June 9, 10, and 11.  Come out and show your support for making Virginia smoke free!   

Visit www.acscan.org/bus to for more information.

FBE Stops in Virginia

June 9

Roanoke, VA — 8:30 AM - 9:00 AM
American Cancer Society office

Charlottesville, VA — 12:30 PM - 2:30 PM
East End of Downtown Mall

Fredericksburg, VA — 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Wal-Mart in Central Park Shopping Center

June 10

Richmond, VA — 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Massey Cancer Center at VCU

Richmond, VA — 11:45 AM - 2:00 PM
Sun Trust Building - Downtown

Virginia Beach, VA — 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Mahi Mah’s Seafood and Sushi Saloon

June 11 

Yorktown, VA — 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Wal-Mart

Newport News, VA — Noon
TBD

WJHL, Channel 11 in the Tri Cities area of Southwest Virginia conducted an investigation of the dangers of second hand smoke in the non smoking sections of restaurants. Their investigation began in 2007 when they tested the level of smoke that was found in air of the nonsmoking section despite smoke eaters, fans and partitions that supposedly contained the smoke to the smoking section of the restaurant.

Using an air quality monitor, Channel 11 determined the quality of the air based on the type and number of molecules in the air of the nonsmoking session.  The investigation revealed that the air in the nonsmoking secion of several restaurants registered a hazardous reading according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s outdoor air quality index with more than 250 micrograms per cubic meter of air.

When Tennessee’s  ban on smoking became effective in October of 2007, Channel 11 went back and tested the air in the restaurants using the air quality monitor.

The results of  the investogation proved that the ban on smoking mandated by the legislation did clear the air of harmful molecules found in secondhand cigarette smoke.

The air in the nonsmoking section of one of the restaurants went from a hazardous reading to a good reading.

 To read the results of the invstigation and to see which Virginia restaurants still have hazardous levels of smoke in the air of the nonsmoking section, click on this link.

http://www.tricities.com/tristate/tri/news.apx.-content-articles-TRI-2008-02-21-0037.html

The Virginian Pilot questions Del. Terrie Suit’s real motive for not allowing the House General Laws committee to consider smoke free air legislation.

Whom is she representing? Not her constituents, more than 70 percent of whom favor a ban. Not her local government representatives, who are eager to embrace public health protections. Not Virginia Beach restaurants, who lobbied for a ban through their association.

Suit owes her chairmanship to Speaker Bill Howell, an opponent of smoking restrictions. She insists he has not influenced her decision, but she understandably feels an obligation to her leader. Even so, she must weigh his desires against the thousands of constituents asking her to give this important issue a fair hearing.

 http://hamptonroads.com/2008/02/last-gasp-smoking-ban

Michael Paul Williams has a great column in today’s Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Don’t offer me another specious argument against government interference, as if it’s an inalienable right for people to blow smoke up my nose.

How about my rights to clear lungs, or clothing that doesn’t require dry cleaning after a visit to a restaurant or bar?

“Freedom” has become another word for “selfish” in our society. But should diners have to expose themselves to risk because of someone’s imaginary “right” to spark up a cigarette?

(…)

The “smoker’s right to choose” argument is akin to saying we all should be able to drink without government restrictions. Let’s keep the taps flowing 24 hours, allow teens unfettered access to booze and remove all laws against drinking and driving.

You up for that?

Of course not. Because our right to pound down a dozen or so brewskis ends the moment we become a hazard to someone else. What makes smokers exempt from being responsible for their potential harm to others?

The Virginian Pilot has published it’s second editorial aimed at Del. Terrie Suit. I wrote about the first here.

A vote by six delegates on Thursday evening to suppress all legislation calling for new smoking restrictions is a reflection of how democracy is pushed aside in Richmond whenever public opinion clashes with the tobacco industry.

The story doesn’t have to end here, but it will unless Virginia Beach Del. Terrie Suit steps forward to make sure this important public health issue gets the hearing it deserves.

As chairman, Suit is the only person who can revive those bills. A majority vote in the full committee could accomplish that task, but that is unlikely. She supported Gov. Tim Kaine’s effort last year to pass a smoking ban for restaurants.

Her abrupt about-face followed her elevation to a chairmanship by party leaders adamantly opposed to the smoking ban. That’s probably not a coincidence. Suit says she changed her mind because she believes enough restaurants have voluntarily gone smoke-free.

She’s entitled to change her mind, but the wishes of her constituents deserve more consideration than she is giving them. The smoking issue ought to be settled on the floor of the House, not in a tiny subcommittee.

Del. Tom Gear, chair of the ABC/Gaming subcommittee, had this to say in today’s Harrisonbug Daily News-Record:

“They’re all in the tank, we killed them all. If the restaurants want to be nonsmoking, let them put signs [up],” Gear said. “We’re waiting on the Senate bills so we can kill those.”

It’s so good to know that the Senate bills can expect a fair and impartial hearing in the House. [/sarcasm] What is it going to take for this important public health issue to be decided by the full General Assembly and not a small handful of (carefully selected) Delegates?

Opponents of the smoking ban often cite an inaccurate statistic when arguing that the ban is not necessary. They say that 2/3 of Virginia’s restaurants are already smoke free so the market is taking care of the issue. However, this statistic is deceiving.

The 2/3 figure encompasses more than what we think of as traditional full service restaurants. It includes Bed and Breakfast Food Service, Permitted Restaurants Located within Convenience Stores, Permitted Restaurant located within Grocery Stores, Private College Food Services, Seasonal Fast Food Restaurants, State College Food Service, and Food Service at State Institutions.

In reality, significantly less than 2/3 of all restaurants are smoke free in Virginia.

Today was a good day for smoke free Virginia advocates! All four Senate bills passed the floor today. Brandon Bell sums it up nicely:

What’s even more impressive is the bi-partisan vote. I’ve been saying for years that this was not a Republican or Democrat issue. This is a public health issue that the voters want addressed.

SB 298 (Whipple), the most comprehensive bill, passed 23-15-1. It’s the same “yes” count as Sen. Bell’s bill last year, but actually marks a net gain. It would have been 24, had Sen. Ticer not been ill. Several members who were supportive last year did not return to the Senate this session, but we have picked up several members who voted “no” in the past (Sen. Houck most notably). Be sure to thank the following Senators for protecting your right to breathe clean air!

Barker, Blevins, Colgan, Edwards, Herring, Houck, Howell, Locke, Lucas, Marsh, McEachin, Miller, J.C., Miller, Y.B., Norment, Northam, Petersen, Puller, Quayle, Saslaw, Stolle, Vogel, Wagner, Whipple

SB 501 (Locke & Northam), the Governor’s smoke-free restaurant bill, passed by an even wider margin: 28-10-1. Senators Deeds, Puckett, Reynolds, Stuart and Wampler joined the “ayes” for this less restrictive bill.

SB 202 (Quayle), which provides localities the option of making restaurants smoke-free passed 29-9-1. SB 347 (Blevins), which allows Hampton Roads localities that same authority, passed 28-10-1.

It’s gratifying a win, and shows that the issue is definitely gaining strong momentum.

Now, it’s on to the House, where we have a much rockier road. The House bills will be heard in subcommittee this Thursday afternoon (more on that later - but we do need supporters to attend!). Make sure to thank the Senate supporters, and tell your Delegate you want a smoke free Virginia!

The Bristol Herald-Courier reacted to last Thursday’s events:

round of applause for the Virginia Senate’s Health and Education Committee which advanced three separate public smoking bans to the Senate floor. It’s about time for Virginia to get in step with the rest of the world and act to protect the health and welfare of non-smoking children and adults.