back to news Time for statewide ban on smoking August 26, 2007 Smoking kills - we know that. But the culture of smoking - imbued with an aura of independence, rebellion and sensuality - has deep roots in our country. For many, smoking is sheer pleasure, and worth whatever health risks come with it. Smokers are passionate about their rights, and increasingly face off with nonsmokers who demand, with equal passion, the right to a smoke-free environment. Businesses, especially restaurants and bars, are often caught in the middle. Washtenaw County banned smoking in workplaces in 2003, and some individual businesses, like the corporate headquarters for Domino´s Pizza, have been smoke-free far longer than that. The local ban doesn´t apply to restaurants and bars, however, or to certain other businesses, like tobacco shops. While some restaurant owners are going smoke-free on a voluntary basis, others fear they´d lose too much business if they banned their customers from smoking. State legislation being proposed would take that decision out of their hands - and it´s time for lawmakers to pass a statewide smoking ban. A bill that would ban smoking in most Michigan businesses was passed last month by the House Commerce Committee, but it hasn´t been voted on by the full House. A similar bill introduced in the Senate remains in committee. If passed by both, the legislation also would require Gov. Jennifer Granholm's approval. The legislation would exempt only workplaces like cigar bars and tobacco shops - places that derive at least 30 percent of revenue from tobacco sales, or retailers that get 75 percent of revenue from such sales. Some local restaurants aren´t waiting for the law to change - more than 100 in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti are already smoke-free. Cady´s Grill, a popular restaurant in Ypsilanti´s Depot Town, went smoke-free less than a month ago. "It first started when I would be seating a table on a busy night and they would say they wanted to be as far away from the smoking section as possible," Rob Troyer, general manager for Cady´s, told The News. Casey´s Tavern in Ann Arbor, which has been smoke-free since February 2006, has seen a change in its customer base - they now sell less alcohol, but serve a lot more families with kids, says Paul Thomas, the restaurant´s general manager. But there´s still a core of restaurants that won´t take the risk of losing customers who smoke - believing that if they went smoke-free, those customers would take their business elsewhere. With a statewide smoking ban, all restaurants would be on equal footing. The health risks of smoking are clear, and thanks to aggressive efforts to raise awareness about the dangers of smoking and secondhand smoke, the number of smokers in this country has declined. About 21 percent of adults over 18 smoke, according to the American Cancer Society, compared to 42 percent in 1965. Yet each year, about 1,800 Michigan residents die from exposure to secondhand smoke, and there are more than 16,000 tobacco-related deaths statewide, according to the Michigan Surgeon General's Health Status Report. Nationwide, our state ranked 27th in overall health in a survey by the United Health Foundation, but 33rd in terms of the percentage of the population that smokes. In addition to the tragic human toll, smoking impacts health care costs to a stunning degree. In Michigan, smoking directly results in $3.4 billion in annual health care costs, according to Centers for Disease Control. The U.S. Office of Management & Budget estimates that each Michigan household pays $637 in federal and state taxes annually to cover government expenditures related to smoking. None of this is acceptable. More than 20 other states have broad smoking bans. It´s time for Michigan to join that group. back to news Sponsored by the Macomb County Tobacco Prevention Coalition, Macomb County Health Department. 586.469.5373. Disclaimer