Issue Brief
Smoke Free Pennsylvania
Background
Clean indoor air legislation, which
would eliminate smoking in public places
and workplaces, is currently before the
Pennsylvania General Assembly. In the
past, Pennsylvania legislators have been
hesitant to enact this type of
legislation despite scientific and
popular support. Now is the time to
encourage members of the Pennsylvania
legislature to support the comprehensive
Smoke Free Pennsylvania legislation.
Since 2007, the Pennsylvania General
Assembly has been considering the Smoke
Free Pennsylvania Act. This Act
would allow the Commonwealth to join
nearly 1,000 cities and more than 20
states in protecting its citizens by
banning smoking in public places and
workplaces, including bars and
restaurants. Similar versions of
the bill passed the House and Senate and
in December a Conference Committee was
appointed. Since that time, hearings
have been held and on April 1 the
committee met again and the issue has
been deferred until after the April 22,
2008, Primary Elections.
The faith community (including the ELCA
historically) is engaged in a national
effort to strengthen tobacco laws and
educate people about the dangers of
smoking because of collective concern
for public health, access to health
care, and the future of our children.
According to James Winkler, General
Secretary, General Board of Church and
Society, United Methodist Church, “Faith
leaders are making tobacco a priority
because for too long our clergy and our
churches have been burying fathers,
mothers, sisters and brothers who were
addicted. This is a moral tragedy that
must be dealt with in our country.”
In fact, smoking kills more people than
alcohol, AIDS, car crashes, illegal
drugs, murders, and suicides combined.
Unfortunately, smoking does not just
affect smokers. Secondhand smoke leads
to between 25,000 and 73,000 deaths a
year, and the Centers for Disease
Control has concluded that there is no
safe level of exposure to secondhand
smoke.
Pennsylvania’s restaurant, bar, and
casino workers are most at risk. Many
workers cannot
avoid the secondhand smoke and have to
spend 8 hours a day breathing in
secondhand smoke. In a smoke-filled
room for one shift of 8 hours the
workers are smoking the equivalent of 1
to 2 packs a day. Smoking a pack a day
should not be a condition for employment
in Pennsylvania.
ELCA Policy Base
“The prophetic voice of Jeremiah cried
out to the Israelites, “Why then has the
health of my poor people not been
restored?” (8:22).
“Health is a gift from God and each of us
has a responsibility to be a good steward of
his or her own health out of thankfulness
for the gift of life and in order to serve
God and the neighbor. Being a good steward
of health and servant to neighbor includes
being thankful for neighbor’s health and
wellbeing. This means taking effective
steps to promote health and prevent illness
and disease, including avoiding use of
tobacco. “
”The ELCA remains committed to its role as
advocate and to use its voice to address
both public policy and the policies of
corporations and to speak to lawmakers on
behalf of the voiceless, oppressed and
marginalized. We are called not only to
advocate for improved access to health care
but to support measures to prevent illness
and disease, which includes protecting
people from the dangers of second-hand
smoke.”
“Health is central to our
well-being...Caring for the health of others
expresses both love for our neighbor and
responsibility for a just society.”
(Caring for Health: Our Shared Endeavor,
2003)
What You Can Do:
Visit, call and/or e-mail your State
Representative and State Senator to let them
know how important the health of all
Pennsylvanians and the passage of the Smoke
Free Pennsylvania Act is to you.
Specifically, you are encouraged to:
-
Ask your State Representative and State
Senator to urge their colleagues,
Senators Greenleaf, McIlhinney and
Mellow and Representatives Belfanti,
Gerber and R. Miller to come to an
agreement on the act so that it can
finally pass and Pennsylvania can be
smoke free. If your State Senator or
Representative is listed above it is
particularly important that you ask them
to work toward a compromise so that this
bill can move forward.
+All Pennsylvanians have the right to
breathe clean, safe, smoke-free air.
+The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
has classified second-hand smoke as a
Class A carcinogen, meaning it is a known
carcinogen. In fact, second-hand smoke
contains more than 60 carcinogens and more
than 4,000 other chemicals including
formaldehyde, arsenic, cyanide and carbon
monoxide. In fact, numerous studies have
shown that second-hand smoke significantly
increases the risk of heart disease, lung
disease, cancer and other serious
illnesses.
+Twenty-three other states have passed clean
indoor air laws. Studies in those states
and other communities where smoke-free laws
have been enacted have shown that
restaurant, bar and tourism businesses have
not been negatively affected.
+A May 2007 poll shows that Pennsylvanians
believe all Pennsylvania workers should be
protected from exposure to second hand smoke
in the workplace. 86% of voters surveyed
said restaurants and bars would be healthier
for customers and employees if they were
smoke free.
April 2008
