No Smoking
The Maryland General Assembly meets for 90 days beginning in January. It's a whirlwind of activity only occasionally capturing my undivided attention. This year's legislative session promised to be just a bit more entertaining because last November Republican governor Robert Ehrlich and his monstrous arrogance were voted out of office. Democratic mayor of Baltimore, Martin O'Malley, was voted in. No one was sure how well O'Malley and the legislature would play together.
This year, one issue I've been paying more than passing attention to is the statewide smoking ban now being debated in Annapolis. Howard County enacted a countywide ban last year and Baltimore City enacted one very early this year. A few other Maryland counties had already gone that way. Seeing the writing on the wall, both the Maryland House of Delegates and State Senate have passed measures banning smoking in bars and restaurants statewide. A conference committee will be required to iron out the differences. Whether to regulate smoking in private clubs and who decides hardship cases separate the two measures. O'Malley has stated he would sign a statewide ban if a bill reached his desk.
I didn't need one parent who died as a result of smoking and another who died from the effects of secondhand smoke to support a smoking ban, but it helps. For me, this is purely a worker health and safety issue. Let's try and think of another business or industry where known carcinogens are intentionally pumped directly into the workplace atmosphere shall we? Thought of any? Nope, me neither. In no other situation would a local jurisdiction permit such a palpably unsafe work environment to exist. It's only a matter of time before smoking bans in bars and restaurants become the norm everywhere.
As for the smokers? Well, the hell with them. Smokers fly cross-country in airplanes, they fly to Europe and Hawaii, they go to movies and concerts and shows, they sit in classrooms, all no smoking situations of duration longer than your average restaurant meal and gotten used to it. They can get used to this, and at the same time, feel good about not poisoning thousands of bar and restaurant workers. Quite frankly, I see this as a win-win situation.
I'll keep you posted.
K-
Very nice editorial. Good luck on the ban. It seems to be sweeping the nation.
Springfield and Sangamon County enacted theirs back in September and some people are still kicking and screaming over it. Part of the problem is that there are little incorporated municipalities in the county that have their own laws separate from the county. So, there are still lots of places around where you can smoke at a bar or restaurant. This is a matter of great consternation to the Springfield businesses that can no longer have smoking. The best thing for all would be for a statewide ban which would get rid of those pockets of smoke.
As for the private club argument, I would posit we don't allow other activities in private clubs that are banned in public restaurants or bars. Like gambling. (Do I sound like the church lady, yet?)
One thing that bothers me (sort of) is the one exception to the Springfield ban and the proposed statewide ban (if it goes through). And that is smoking in nursing homes. It's baffling. Well, maybe not. My daughter and I used to joke that the smoking room at the nursing home where my mom was for a time actually smelled better than the rest of the place.
I'll have to see what the current measures say about nursing homes. That wasn't an aspect brought out in the papers. I don't recall seeing a smoking area in my mother's nursing home. In fact, I thought it was a non-smoking facility. Maybe it was because it was run by the Lutherans.
Maryland has very few incorporated cities; only a handful. So issues and legislation tend to be viewed very county-centric. When asked "Where are you from?" most Marylanders simply reply with their county of residence rather than town. There are only 23 counties in Maryland, so it works.
K-
Louisiana's ban on smoking went into effect earlier this year. No longer do we have to ask for the non-smoking area or be worried that we'll be seated too close to the smoking area. Louisiana's ban is on places of business where any kind of food is served. All government-owned buildings are also smoke free. Most workplaces in Louisiana are smoke-free these days.
Now, our legislature is taking aim at cockfighting. Louisiana is the only state where it is still legal. Yeah, I'm proud of that.
Good Luck to Maryland.