Beginning this week, some workers in Ingham County will get a breath of fresh air as a countywide ban on smoking in break-rooms used by smokers and nonsmokers alike takes effect. Second-hand smoke has long been known to cause lung cancer and heart disease, but has not been given the attention it deserves as a workplace hazard.
Although individuals should have the right to smoke, they do not have the right to potentially harm the health of their co-workers. Employers should take every measure feasible to ensure their workers are not unnecessarily subjected to health hazards in the course of completing their daily duties.
In most cases, the county ban will not change much. Businesses are not required to construct new break-rooms for smokers. Instead, a designated place for smokers will have to be established - which could be simply a place outside the backdoor.
And although this new rule may seem harsh to some smokers, Ingham County’s ban doesn’t go nearly as far as some laws dealing with smoking, or as far as some Ingham County officials would like to see it go.
In addition to banning smoking in public buildings, which is already the law here, California took the step of banning smoking in bars and restaurants and New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg is looking to do the same in the Big Apple.
The service industry should take a serious and open-minded look at such a ban. Bar and restaurant employees face some of the greatest risks of second-hand smoke while they serve patrons in their establishments.
Many employers are either unaware or unmindful of the dangers second-hand smoke can present to their employees, and such an expanded policy would be a positive step toward creating a safer place for people to work. Nonsmoking employees should not be subjected to heavy concentrations of second-hand smoke if they do not wish to be.
And if restaurants and bars don’t want to see a blanket ban against smoking, they should take steps to install better ventilation-systems in smoking areas, ensuring the air is as clean as possible for its servers and customers. And employees should always be fully informed of the health hazards of working in the smoking area and given the option to work in another section.
Otherwise, this area should follow the route of ban, and send the smokers outside.
Unfortunately, smoking is something that affects everyone, regardless of whether they choose to light up, and there must be consideration for people who choose not to smoke. Although some smokers may be upset by their gradual forced march away from their workplace or out of restaurants, these are becoming increasingly necessary steps as we learn more about the dangers of second-hand smoke.
