One of my favorite cities in the nation is generating significant smoke-free news these days: Kingsbury Plaza, a 47-story apartment building in downtown Chicago, will prohibit smoking in all units by 2012. Violators will have to pay a $350 fine, and, if caught a second time, will face eviction. Only 15% of the current tenants smoke, but it will still be interesting to see if anyone protests this new policy. They wouldn't get any sympathy from me, though, because a recent study suggested that children ages 6-18 living in multi-unit housing are 20% more likely to be exposed to secondhand smoke than children in detached housing--even when controlling for socioeconomic factors (this study actually says 45%). Either way, I feel like this isn't exactly groundbreaking. How many studies will it take to convince the public that secondhand smoke is unacceptable?
In other news, a poll of 400 Chicago adults showed that laws for smoke-free environments are more strongly supported than any of the local sports teams. Don't get me wrong, I love sports--but this might just mean that more people would be upset if the local smoke-free indoor laws were repealed than if, say, the Chicago Bears moved to Wisconsin.
10 Worst U.S. Cities for Smoking
Just when I was beginning to think that Oklahoma City was a legitimate up-and-coming destination (especially given the success of the Oklahoma City Thunder and the recent migration of elite rowers), I learn that nearly a quarter of OKC smokes about 15 cigarettes per day. In other words, you won't find me there anytime soon. OKC ranked seventh on the '10 Worst U.S. Cities for Smoking.' Las Vegas, which I am naturally deterred from visiting due to the incessant smoking inside hotel lobbies and casinos, is ranked tenth. If I can hardly tolerate Vegas, I wouldn't be too excited about visiting the rest of the 'worst cities':
- Tulsa, OK
- Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA
- Memphis, TN
- Indianapolis, IN
- Louisville, KY
- St. Louis, MO
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Birmingham, AL
- Grand Rapids, MI
- Las Vegas, NV
Smoke-free Rental Cars
Good news: All Dollar and Thrifty rental cars are now smoke-free. Dollar Thrifty has recognized and fixed a common problem that many of their customers have faced (third-hand smoke), and will now be better off for it. Tobacco-Free Kids has officially approved of the policy change, so Dollar Thrifty will surely see increased business once these kids are old enough to rent a car!
To be honest, I think I've only been victim of third-hand smoke once or twice in a rental car, but I've definitely found myself in the back of smokers' personal cars. There's really nothing like driving around town in a mobile ashtray. Changes like the one that Dollar Thrifty has made also help to inform the public about the reality of third-hand smoke; people now have another reason to believe that smoking particles and residue that settle into car upholstery, house furniture, and hotel walls can actually be harmful.
Smoking on Sidewalks...
...is now banned in Great Neck Village, New York. Now, Great Neck is a small town; it is made up of a whopping 1.4 square miles of land. Still, I see this as a big, bold move toward what will ultimately become a comprehensive public smoking ban--not just for Great Neck, but for other towns and cities. Since the change was announced, the mayor of Great Neck has received much praise for the village's efforts. Now only if this sidewalk smoking ban could trend its way over to Phoenix, so I can run outside again without fear.
State Smoking Ban Updates
As I briefly mentioned in part one of the last digest, Mississippi and Indiana appear to be ripe for a new smoke-free law. Mississippi lawmakers have introduced the Universal Smoking Ban bill, which sounds like it is being given serious consideration in the state capital. Up in Indiana, the Indiana Comprehensive Indoor Clean Air Act is in a similar position. Kentucky is also joining in on the fun! However, with regard to smoke-free legislation, everything really is bigger in Texas; apparently state legislators are reviving a bill that nearly passed in 2009, which would ban smoking in all public places, with private homes and designated hotel rooms as the only legal places to smoke. Hopefully we'll hear some good news soon!
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