Welcome to Smokefree DC
We are a group of DC-area residents, workers and visitors who believe that all workers deserve a safe, healthy, smokefree work environment. We support 100% smokefree workplaces, including restaurants and bars, in our nation's capital.Smokefree DC Site Moves
This is Smokefree DC's old website -- it was active during the campaign to make DC workplaces, including bars and restaurants, smokefree, but exists now only for the historical record. For current events that Smokefree DC is involved with, or to sign up for our new mailing list, visit smokefreedc.org.
Media misrepresents sidewalk provision as “crackdownâ€
Sept. 30, 2009Have you seen the stories about the city “cracking down†on sidewalk smoking? Don’t worry – the city is doing no such thing. That’s just alarmist rhetoric from the media, which is trying to find a story where there isn’t one. Here’s the real scoop: The D.C. Council is considering allowing businesses to voluntarily post “no smoking†signs outside their buildings. Why? Because in some places, smoke is drifting back inside the work spaces. That, of course, undermines the point of the very good smokefree workplaces law the Council passed in 2006, which is designed to protect workers and the public from the many health hazards of secondhand smoke. The sidewalk provision is just a few lines in a much larger bill that would make it harder for teens to get their hands on tobacco products. There is no enforcement – no fines, no penalties, nothing like that. It merely clarifies that building owners can ask people not to smoke when they are standing outside the building. Smokefree DC’s Bob Summersgill testified on Tuesday, Sept. 29, before the Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary. His testimony is below. View Bill B18-0428 (PDF). Look at Section 9. If you think this is a good idea, please contact the Council. Phone numbers and email addresses are at http://www.dccouncil.washington.dc.us/contactuscouncil. If you want to email the whole Council at once, just send to dccouncil@dccouncil.us Questions for us? Call Angela Bradbery, Smokefree DC’s co-founder, at 202-669-6517.
Testimony by Bob Summersgill on Behalf of Smokefree DC on
Bill 18-124, Single Sale of Cigar Product Prohibition Amendment Act of 2009 and Bill 18-428, Prohibition Against Selling Tobacco Product to Minors Amendment Act of 2009 Good morning Chairman Mendelson. My name is Bob Summersgill; I am a resident of Ward 3 and a member of Smokefree DC’s Steering Committee. Smokefree DC fully supports both bill 18-0124 and bill 18-0428. Both bills would curb smoking by youth by prohibiting single sales of cigars and by making it more difficult for minors to buy tobacco products. Additionally, bill 18-0428 would enable building owners to post “no smoking†signs outside their buildings to ensure that secondhand smoke doesn’t drift inside. While bill 18-0124, which would prohibit the sale of single cigars, is designed to limit drug paraphernalia, it also would dissuade kids from purchasing cigars, because they would have to buy many at once, effectively putting them out of their price range. Teens are turning to cigars with increasing frequency; in the District, 10.1 percent of high school students smoke cigars, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Not only are little cigars more attractive to teens than cigarettes because they are not subject to cigarette taxes and so are cheaper, but they also come in flavors designed to appeal to youth. The city of Baltimore has recognized this problem and dealt with it similarly, by banning the sale of individual cigars earlier this year. The second bill, 18-0428, is also designed to curb underage smoking by making it harder for kids to purchase tobacco products. One less sale of a tobacco product to a teen could mean that one less teen grows up to be a smoker. That means less cancer and less cardiovascular disease, for the smoker and everyone around him. And that means lower health care costs for all of us. In addition, a provision of bill 18-0428 clarifies that building owners may post no-smoking signs outside their premises. It is well-documented that people with asthma and other respiratory illnesses suffer consequences from being exposed to secondhand smoke. For some, the effects are dramatic and immediate. Those with heart conditions are vulnerable as well. Right now, in a number of locations, smokers congregate outside building entrances, and the smoke seeps back into the buildings when doors or windows are opened. In fact, a number of people have called Smokefree DC to report problems with secondhand smoke seeping into their workspaces from open doors and windows. Callers included a distraught worker at a cardiology practice and office workers with asthma who could never open her windows to let fresh air in. This thwarts the purpose of the smokefree workplaces law that the Council passed in 2006 and that took effect in 2007—which was to protect workers and the public from the dangers of secondhand smoke in public spaces indoors. This sensible, voluntary provision would help solve this problem. SmokefreeDC fully support bills these bills and urge their passage. Thank you.
Dealing With Secondhand Smoke in Your Apartment?
We at Smokefree DC get quite a few inquires from apartment and condo dwellers who are grappling with cigarette smoke seeping into their living quarters from neighboring units. What can you do if this is happening to you? There are several steps you can take: 1. Talk to the neighbor. Believe it or not, some people are responsive when you approach them and will agree to smoke outside. 2. Talk to management. Ask them to help resolve the problem. 3. Take it to the board. Does your condo have a covenants committee that handles complaints between residents? Take it to the committee. 4. Get your building to go smokefree. Yes, it?s legal, and it has been done. If you live in an apartment, it means approaching the owner; a condo, approaching the board. It would help if you gather signatures on a petition from other residents who want the building to go smokefree. 5. If all else fails, you can go to court. This can be time-consuming and expensive, though. Here are some places where you can get excellent information: Americans for Nonsmokers? Rights In particular check out this link. The Tobacco Control Legal Consortium In particular check out this link. We are building this portion of the site, so check back often for more information!Happy with the District's Smokefree Workplace Law? Tell Us About It!
We've seen and heard great things about the law and have created a way to gather them in one place: Smokefree Stories blog. Click here to add your own story!Report a Violation
You can now report a violation, Smokefree DC will follow up with the establishment and Department of Health. Click here to see a list of establishments that still permit smoking because they have received a certificate of exemption by the city's Department of Health.Smokefree Law Goes Into Effect January 2, 2007
Smokefree Law Goes Into Effect. At long last, the law protecting workers and patrons in all offices, restaurants and bars in DC goes into effect. See the original temporary regulations. Updated! The new April 5th proposed regulations.Frequently Asked Questions
Wondering about secondhand smoke and smokefree laws? See our Frequently Asked Questions and the Smokefree Law Facts document.Resources Worth Reading
Smokefree DC Endorses Candidates for General Election
Smokefree DC has published its recommendations for endorsement for the November 9th, 2006 District General Election. View the endorsements here.Smokefree DC Endorses Candidates for Mayor and DC Council Primaries
On Aug. 9, Smokefree DC members voted to endorse several candidates for the Sept 12 primary election. Read the full press release, read the candidate questionnaires, or see the final endorsement results.Letter to DC Businesses
Read the DC Department of Health letter to DC business owners regarding the new DC Smokefree Workplaces Law. (PDF)Smokefree Law Fact Sheet
The DC Smokefree Workplaces Law begins to take effect starting on April 4, 2006. Read more on the law here. (Word DOC), or click here to see the law itself.Smokefree Bill Moves to Congress, Unsigned
Mayor Williams let the Smokefree Workplaces Bill move to congressional review without his signature. Here is the full text of the final bill.VICTORY! DC Council Passes Smokefree Bill
The DC Council this afternoon (Wednesday, Jan 4, 2006) passed a comprehensive smokefree workplaces bill by an 11-1 vote. Although it's not as strong as we would like (full implementation isn't until January 1, 2007, and the waiver language is unchanged, although the Council indicated it intends for the regulations implementing the waiver provision to be strong), we're very pleased with the final outcome. Send a thank you note, and read Smokefree DC's statement.- "Levels of secondhand smoke are up to 2 times higher in restaurants than in office workplaces.... Levels of secondhand smoke are 4 to 6 times higher in bars than in office workplaces...."
- Siegel, Involuntary Smoking in the Restaurant Workplace, JAMA, July 28, 1993
- "Because of their high exposure to secondhand smoke at work, bar and restaurant workers are 1.5 to 2 times more likely to die of lung cancer than they would be if bars and restaurants were 100% smoke-free."
- Siegel, Smoking and Bars, A Guide For Policy Makers, January, 1998
- "Waiters and waitresses have nearly 4 times the worksite exposure to secondhand smoke as white collar employees."
- Wortley, Pascale M. et al, "Exposure to Secondhand Smoke in the Workplace: Serum Cotinine by Occupation", Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Volume 44, Number 6, June 2002.
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