Non-smoking, please

By BLAIR RYLAND
When I moved to California a little over a year and a half ago to attend college, I knew that life on the west coast would be very different from the comfort of Woodbridge, which has been my home for nearly twenty years. While I still love Virginia and cannot wait for trips back home, there are many things that I enjoy about the big, bad state out west — namely, their smoking policy. My parents and I went out to dinner my first night on campus, and I put our name down on the restaurant list. Out of habit I added, “Three, non-smoking.” The hostess smiled at me and responded, “Where are you from?”
Though a little confused and caught off guard, I answered her question, to which she replied, “Every restaurant in California is smoke-free.”

Intrigued by this new information, I decided to find out what I could about California’s no-smoking policy. I discovered that San Luis Obispo was the first city in the world to ban smoking in all indoor public places such as restaurants and bars in 1990, and the entire state of California followed suit in 1998. Since then, twenty-seven states have enacted laws that require workplaces, restaurants, or bars to be 100 percent smoke-free; even Washington, D.C., requires all of these places to uphold smoke-free environments.

However, under Virginia law, smoking is prohibited only in places like government buildings, schools, and health care facilities, with smoking in private workplaces and restaurants still being permitted. In
Virginia, restaurants with seating capacities of over 50 persons must have a designated no-smoking section. Nevertheless, it is nearly impossible to confine smoke to one area, and a number of these no-smoking areas often reek of the smell of cigarettes when the smoking section is located just 10 feet away.

While the smell may or may not bother a large proportion of nonsmokers, the risks of secondhand smoke are costly to all. According to the Surgeon General, “Secondhand smoke contains more than fifty cancer-causing chemicals and is itself a known human carcinogen. Nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke inhale many of the same toxins as smokers.” In his report from 2006, he states that, in the United States, secondhand smoke was estimated to kill about 46,000 nonsmokers from coronary heart disease, over 3,000 as a result of lung cancer and a little more than 400 newborn babies from sudden infant death syndrome in the previous year. Heart disease, lung cancer, and infant mortality are just a few of the known health problems associated with secondhand smoke; lung infections and asthma attacks in children have been increasing in recent years and have also been linked to secondhand smoke.

One of the main opposing arguments for not putting a no-smoking policy into practice in restaurants throughout the state is the idea that Virginians have a right to decide whether or not they want to eat where people are smoking. As Delegate John Cosgrove puts it, “They have a right and responsibility to take care of themselves.” On the other hand, it is difficult to find restaurants that completely ban smoking in the building. Should those who look after their health and want to avoid contact with secondhand smoke be forced to seek out smoke-free restaurants, or should they simply never eat out?

It is appalling that nonsmokers in Virginia are exposed to this risk while enjoying a meal out in restaurants as a result of the close proximity of non-smoking and smoking sections. One might ask what can be done to change this, and it is clear that a policy like the one in California — along with many other states — must be implemented in order to significantly decrease the problems of secondhand smoke in eating areas. A statewide poll conducted in 2007 showed that 71 percent of Virginians support the idea of a law prohibiting smoking in public places and 98 percent believe that exposure to secondhand smoke is hazardous to one’s health. Smoke Free Virginia Now!, an organization that boasts this information on their Web site, encourages Virginians who oppose the current sanction of smoking in restaurants and public places to contact their legislators and let them know how they feel.

I believe that taking action such as writing letters to government officials and speaking out against a smoking policy that is affecting everyone’s health, either directly or indirectly, is the only solution to this growing problem. As can be seen through conducted polls like the one previously mentioned, we care about the air we breathe in and are not against having stricter smoking laws. It is up to us as state citizens to try to make a difference and let our voices be heard. In the meantime, put out your cigarette while dining in public restaurants in consideration for your fellow citizens.

Blair Ryland is a lifelong resident of Woodbridge. She is currently a student at Stanford University.