Stop Smoking Way

In the wake of the state House rejecting a bill to ban smoking in Michigan workplaces, Southfield is considering implementing a ban of its own.

The Southfield City Council’s legislative committee is expected to meet Monday to discuss banning smoking at workplaces. Once a draft of a proposed ordinance is created, the issue will come back to the council, said Councilman Bill Lattimore, who is chairman of the committee. The ban, he said, would include public and private workplaces but not bars and restaurants.

“It’s something I would definitely support,” Lattimore said. “I’ve been a nonsmoker all my life, and I just don’t like it.”

Susan Schechter, director of advocacy for the American Lung Association of Michigan, said state law prohibits cities from regulating bars and restaurants. Last month, the House shot down a ban that would affect workplaces such as casinos, bars, restaurants and smoke shops. The measure was six votes short of approval and could be revisited later this year, officials said.

Opposition to the state ban came from Detroit lawmakers, who said such a move would hurt casino revenue, and bar and restaurant owners, who say they should be allowed to decide whether customers can smoke in their establishments. States like California, Ohio, Illinois, New York and Florida have all passed smoking bans, Schechter said. Cities such as Detroit and Marquette also have implemented work site smoking bans.

Health concerns drive such efforts, Schechter said.

“There’s no longer any dispute about secondhand smoke,” she said. “It’s a killer on its own.”

Research has shown that bar and restaurant workers are 50% more likely to develop lung cancer because of secondhand smoke, Schechter said. “That’s why we are so excited about the state doing something — so workers at bars and restaurants can be protected, as well,” she said, adding that she’s hopeful that a ban eventually will be implemented statewide. Lattimore said he hopes the city’s efforts influence Michigan leaders to move forward on a statewide ban. Both of his parents smoked for decades and died from diseases caused by the habit.

“I lost my father to cancer 20 years ago. I lost my mom four years ago to emphysema,” he said. “It’s kind of personal to me.”

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Tags: Smoking ban