Jump to full article: Columbia (SC) State, 2009-09-03
Intro: IT NEVER SHOULD have been on the table in the first place, but it was good to see Richland County Council reject a misguided effort to weaken the county's smoking ban.
The council responded emphatically Tuesday in killing a proposal that would have allowed any establishment to operate "a portion of its workplace" as a "designated smoking area" as long as that area is separate from its nonsmoking area and has its own outside entrance and a separate heating and air system. It also would have allowed some employees to work in smoking areas. While the proposal's chief proponent, Councilman Jim Manning, said workers would have to volunteer to work in smoking areas, there's little doubt people would have been forced to choose between their health and a job.
Fortunately, the council saw the error of making such a change that, while reportedly aimed at addressing concerns of a single bingo operator, would have opened the door to all businesses, including bars and restaurants. Council members didn't even hold a planned public hearing before summarily nixing the proposal. . . .
With Lexington County finally taking action to protect workers from unnecessary exposure to carcinogens, its towns and cities -- from West Columbia and Cayce to Irmo and, yes, Springdale and Chapin -- also should adopt smoking bans. Those who claimed to be waiting for the County Council to act no longer have that excuse.
While any smoking ban is better than none, it's imperative that these cities and towns adopt more than minimal protections. They should all adopt the same or similar bans that would eliminate secondhand smoke in workplaces. A uniform effort would go a long way to safe-guarding communitywide public health.
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The more prudent and effective way to guard all South Carolinians against harm that can be caused by secondhand smoke would be for the Legislature to develop the courage to pass and defend a strong statewide ban. There is simply no good reason for our legislators not to require this minimal level of workplace safety for all of South Carolina's workers.
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