Smoke-free law won't hurt businesses

On Oct. 1, Montana will join at least 10 other states — encompassing about a third of the U.S. population — that have decided to promote the health of children, employees, and the general public by going smoke-free in all public places with limited exceptions.

There have been concerns by Lake County business owners that this law will cause a decline in customers and be bad for business. But the reality, as shown in studies across the United States where clean indoor air legislation has been implemented, that is not the case.

First, addressing one critically important point: This law is not aimed at limiting smokers' rights and neither does it try to force smokers to quit. Simply, it is not about the smoker, it is about toxic secondhand smoke — a public health issue.

In passing the Montana Tobacco-Free Schools and Clean Indoor Air Act, the Legislature determined that the health of all Montanans, young and old, must come first. Public health issues and strict health regulations and inspections have been a fact of life across this state and the nation for decades. Strong public opinion in most Montana communities has been in favor of clean indoor air policies.

I have heard concerns of bar owners and am sympathetic to their fears and want to reassure them that in every city, state and country that has implemented clean indoor air legislation, business levels have not only kept up, but have actually increased in most cases.

Usually there has been an initial dip as patrons and the public adjust, but experience shows this dip is normally short-lived. And the reason is obvious: There are lots more people who don't smoke than people who do. In Montana, only 21 percent of adults are smokers, which means that 79 percent of Montana adults are non-smokers. Smokers adjust to the policy and use outdoor areas or decks for smoking.

There is no room for doubt any more about the dangers of secondhand smoke, and those dangers are well known: A lit cigarette produces more than 4,000 chemicals, 60 of which are known carcinogens (cancer-causing). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that, in addition to the more than 400,000 Americans a year who die from smoke related illnesses — 1,400 just in Montana — 53,000 more smokers die from secondhand smoke. This and other information is available at

www.cdc.gov

where there are also links to other fact-based web sites.

Montanans wanting help in quitting smoking are encouraged to call the Montana QUIT LINE, 866-485-QUIT (7848).