EDITORIAL – Allegheny County quits smoking

Allegheny County Council passed a nearly unanimous smoking ban this Tuesday that will… Allegheny County Council passed a nearly unanimous smoking ban this Tuesday that will prohibit Pittsburghers from lighting up in all Allegheny County workplaces, including bars, restaurants and pubs, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune Review.

The legislation, which is still awaiting approval from county Chief Executive Dan Onorato, will, if approved, go into effect in 90 days. Specifically, there will be a six-month grace period for all first-time violators of the ban, in which both patrons caught smoking and establishment owners will be warned. After the six months, violators will face a $250 fine, and any establishment with three or more offenses will face the loss of County Health Department licenses.

The ordinance specifies several exceptions to the ban. Smoking will still be allowed in hookah lounges and cigar bars attached to specialty tobacco establishments. Hotels may also designate up to 25 percent of their rooms as smoking.

The legislation appears to be a healthy and intelligent move for Allegheny County.

Even smokers must agree that it is respectful to non-smokers to refrain from lighting up in public places. Smoke filters. A public pool wouldn’t create a “peeing section” and a “non-peeing” section, so why should we expect that in our restaurants?

Besides being unpleasant, secondhand smoke, which can easily travel to nearby patrons of a restaurant or bar, is also a health risk. According to the American Lung Association, secondhand smoke causes approximately 3,400 lung cancer deaths and 22,700 to 69,600 heart disease deaths in adult non-smokers in the United States each year. By banning smoking in restaurants and in the workplace, hopefully Allegheny County will be a healthier and safer place to work and live.

While some critics worry that the ban will hurt the business of local bars and restaurants, the economies of New York City and California, which have both passed similar legislation, faced very little backlash following their bans.

With widespread enforcement of the ban, Pittsburghers will learn to adapt. Years ago, smoking was permitted in all public places. Legislation was passed, which limited where people could light up, and the masses adapted to the new system. While it may take some time for smokers to adjust to the new ordinance, over time, refraining from smoking in public places will be the norm.

Some local politicians are concerned that the ban, while beneficial, should be state mandated rather than enforced locally. While a state ordinance would be the preferred type of legislation, it seems that Pennsylvania legislators are focused on enabling smoking instead of restricting it.

On the same day that the Allegheny County Council passed the ban, the Pennsylvania Senate Rules Committee adopted an amendment that would allow smoking in all Pennsylvania casinos, pre-empting any local smoking ordinances for gambling facilities, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

This amendment, which aims to prevent gamblers from traveling to casinos outside of counties with smoking bans, is concerning, as it undermines much of the basis for a smoking ban. Casinos are public establishments, just like restaurants and bars, and patrons of these establishments have the right to a smoke-free environment.

We applaud the Allegheny County Council for passing the smoking ban. Now, if only the Pennsylvania state legislature would follow in its footsteps.