LANSING – In an effort to protect Michigan residents and workers from the dangers of secondhand smoke, State Representative Fred Miller (D-Mount Clemens) and his House colleagues on Wednesday passed a plan that prohibits smoking in virtually all indoor public places, including restaurants and bars.
"If you work in a bar or a restaurant, inhaling secondhand smoke day in and day out should not be part of your job description," Miller said. "This is a landmark move in efforts to strengthen public health protections in Michigan, because banning smoking in these establishments will drastically reduce the amount of smoke that workers are subjected to."
Secondhand smoke is classified as a Group A carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Exposure to secondhand smoke can cause or exacerbate a wide range of health problems, including cancer, respiratory infections, and asthma, according to the American Lung Association (ALA).
The ALA reports that secondhand smoke causes approximately 3,400 lung cancer deaths and 46,000 heart disease deaths in adult nonsmokers in the United States each year, and that nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke at work are at increased risk for health problems.
"The dangers of secondhand smoke are extensively documented – secondhand smoke kills and causes cancer in nonsmokers," Miller said. "This legislation protects residents, and by banning smoking in public places, we will save lives – it's that simple."
The plan prohibits smoking in places of employment and most public places, including bars and restaurants. Those who violate the law would be fined up to $100 for the first violation and up to $500 for any subsequent violations. The plan exempts certain cigar bars and tobacco specialty retail stores, casino game room floors, bingo halls and horse racing tracks. Some form of smoke-free law has been passed in 32 states.
Secondhand smoke is especially harmful to children, the ALA reports. It is responsible for up to 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections in kids under 18 months of age, resulting in up to 15,000 hospitalizations a year. It causes 430 sudden infant death syndrome deaths in the U.S. annually, the ALA reports. In addition, new evidence links increases in the number of asthma cases in children to secondhand smoke exposure.