Bill to Cover Interior of Public Places
Jump to full article: The Washington Post, 2003-12-17
Author: Darragh Johnson / Washington Post Staff Writer; Page B07
Intro: Maryland lawmakers vowed yesterday to push for a statewide ban on smoking inside public places, hoping to build on support for such measures in Montgomery County and other communities.
"Secondhand smoke kills 53,000 smokers each year," said state Sen. Ida G. Ruben (D-Montgomery) . . .
Fighting the ban during the General Assembly will be the Restaurant Association of Maryland, whose spokesman Melvin Thompson yesterday cited effects he said such measures have had in New York and Delaware.
"Smoking bans are bad for our businesses," he said. . . .
Supporters of the proposal argued yesterday that smoking isn't just a health issue, but a "social justice issue," as Bishop Larry Lee Thomas, president of the United Black Clergy of Anne Arundel County, put it.
"Today in Maryland, only certain workers are guaranteed a smoke-free [environment]," he said. "The workers most likely to suffer the greatest burden of secondhand smoke are poor -- people [who are] less able to stand up for themselves and have less-intensive job skills. We in the faith-based community are saying: We treasure all workers. Clean air to us is very important."
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Today in Maryland, only certain workers are guaranteed a smoke-free [environment]. The workers most likely to suffer the greatest burden of secondhand smoke are poor -- people [who are] less able to stand up for themselves and have less-intensive job skills. We in the faith-based community are saying: We treasure all workers. Clean air to us is very important.
Bishop Larry Lee Thomas, president of the United Black Clergy of Anne Arundel County, on the need for a statewide smoking ban.
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