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Nevada Today

Nevada Today is a nonpartisan, independently owned and operated site dedicated to providing up-to-date news and smart analysis on the issues that impact Nevada's communities and businesses.

Clean Indoor Air

Council Told Of Advances In Smoke-Free Laws

[amazon_link asins=’B01EVMK0H0′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’nevadatoday-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’db73017a-2587-11e8-b38e-2d4e8798a31c’]By Randy Bauman

Good evening (Mesquite, NV) City Council Members and Happy 2018!

My name is Randy Bauman and I’m a volunteer with the Mesquite Citizens for Clean Indoor Air.

As you know, our group has been active for a while now and it’s growing all the time. At our recent Holiday Party, we had more than a hundred people present, with lots of new faces. Our Facebook page is also growing all the time.

This increasing support and interest in smokefree air isn’t surprising to me. Smokefree has been a growing trend for a long time now. People are beginning to understand the risks. You don’t need to inhale tobacco smoke directly to be at risk for heart disease, stroke and cancer. Just being in the same building is enough.

Employees and members of the public don’t want to put their health at risk simply by entering bars, casinos and restaurants that allow smoking. They want healthy, enjoyable places to work and recreate.

Communities that value a high standard of living and understand the health costs we all pay as a result of tobacco use are taking action.

In 2017, a total of 58 communities across the U.S. enacted laws to make workplaces, bars and restaurants 100 percent smokefree.

And 44 of these communities included language in their laws that make any current or future gambling establishments smokefree.

A total of 4,924 communities in the United States now have laws that control where smoking is allowed. Of these, 1,255 require restaurants to be 100 percent smokefree. And 1,119 require bars to be 100 percent smokefree.

We know that there is no way to prevent tobacco smoke from traveling throughout a building. Smokefree areas and air cleaners don’t work. The only way to protect health and reduce the risks of cancer, heart disease and stroke is to make the entire building smokefree.

This is why HUD, the federal housing agency, is making all of its multi-unit housing smokefree this year. Not only will this help protect the health of families who live in this housing, including babies and small children, it will save the taxpayers millions of dollars spent repairing the damage caused by smoking, such as the smell of cigarettes, contaminated carpets, burned counter tops and stained walls.

Casino employees and patrons also deserve protection from dirty, hazardous air. Going smokefree will ensure that our indoor public areas are clean, healthy places to work and visit. It will improve the quality of life here in Mesquite and save all of us money spent due to the death and disease caused by tobacco smoke.

This is the year for Mesquite to take action. Let’s all make a resolution to make our community a better, healthier place in 2018.

 

About Author

Michael McGreer Mesquite, Nevada
Dr. Michael Manford McGreer is managing editor of Nevada-today.com and writes on issues that impact public policy.

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