Activating Kurt Odenwald for Trying to Clear the Air

An unwilling secondhand smoker and Friend of Activeness (FOA) passes along a note from supporters of St. Louis County Councilman Kurt Odenwald:

"If you're interested in showing support for smoke-free bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues, then please show up at the St. Louis County Council meeting on Tuesday, July 25th at 6:30 p.m. in the Lawrence K. Roos Building at 41 S. Central in Clayton.

Thanks to the recently released Surgeon General's report on the dangers of secondhand smoke and St. Louis County Councilman Kurt Odenwald's tireless efforts to clear the air in St. Louis County, we have another chance to get the smoke out of all workplaces, including restaurants, bars, and all entertainment venues.

This opportunity will come to fruition only if we have your help. Councilman Odenwald is asking that we get hundreds of proponents of smoke-free air to show up at the St. Louis County Council meeting on Tuesday, July 25th at 6:30 p.m. If you're sick of being exposed to smoke almost everywhere you go, I urge you to be at this meeting. You won't have to speak and you won't have to stay long, but we need you to show up and be counted.

Last August, when our smoke-free workplace ordinance was defeated by one vote, Harrah's Casino turned out in force with five busloads of Harrah's employees. Some of the members of the County Council were impressed that they outnumbered the supporters of the ordinance 10:1. We can't let that happen again."

The FOA also notes in his email to us that:

1. You cannot deny the dangers of secondhand smoke. The evidence is overwhelming.
2. I don't have the choice to not inhale secondhand smoke. And I (among many others) would patronize drinking establishment more often if they were smoke-free.
3. There is no empirical evidence showing that smoking bans harm the overall financial well-being of bars/restaurants.
4. The entire countries of Ireland and Scotland have successfully introduced smoking bans. I believe that they out-drink the
U.S. and the pubs still thrive there. Have you been to New York City lately? I have, and the bars are packed (and smoke-free).
5. Bars and restaurants are not private property, they are public places. The government already regulates plenty of dangerous actions (assault, murder, etc.) in public places, and those laws are commonly accepted as reasonable. Someone's right to swing their fist at your face stops just shy of your face. This should apply to smoking just the same.
6. The state of our country from a healthcare perspective is awful. I have no interest in subsidizing the rising cost of healthcare as a result of the thousands of people that get treatment each year for smoking related ailments. In addition to your monthly healthcare premium taken out of your paycheck, ask your HR person how much the company is subsidizing for health insurance. Then look at the same figures from 10 years ago. As a non-smoker, I certainly don't feel responsible for that.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch story.