Frequently Asked Questions About Secondhand Smoke and Smokefree Policies

I can understand how secondhand smoke can be considered annoying, but is it really dangerous?
Yes. Secondhand smoke harms the health of those exposed to it. Secondhand smoke has been proven to cause lung cancer and heart disease, and has been linked to asthma and respiratory problems. Secondhand smoke has 4,000 chemicals, more than 50 of which are carcinogens.

What is the difference between the old DC law regarding smoking in indoor public spaces and the new one?
Before April 2006, the District had one of the worst laws in the country in terms of protecting workers from secondhand smoke. It was legal to smoke in offices, health care facilities, day care centers and more. Under the law passed by the DC Council in January 2006, most indoor public places are required to be smokefree by January 2007. For more details on the previous law, click here (MS-Word). To see the new law, click here.

What's wrong with smoking and non-smoking sections? Isn't that a good way to make everybody happy?
No. Smoking and non-smoking sections in restaurants are misnomers. Smoke travels; it knows no boundaries. Having smoking and non-smoking sections is like have peeing and non-peeing sections in a swimming pool - it doesn't work. Like that yellow substance in the water, smoke circulates, and everybody is exposed to it.

Won't bars and restaurants lose business if they go smokefree?
No. Every reliable study of sales tax data shows that in localities that have gone smokefree, business is just as good - if not better - than when smoking was permitted.

Smoking is legal. Why don't you believe that smokers can smoke where they please?
People do not have the right to harm other people's health. Everyone has the right to breathe clean air.

You say that smokefree policies are to protect workers. But if the workers don't like secondhand smoke, can't they just find another job?
Workers shouldn't have to give up a good job because of secondhand smoke. Also, it's not that easy to simply find another job. Many restaurant and bar workers have restrictions on when and where they can work because of a school schedule or other jobs. They take a restaurant or bar job at a place that best suits their needs. Others may not have transportation that would enable them to take another job.

Some jobs are hazardous by nature, and workers must recognize that and deal with it. Don't bar and restaurant jobs fall into that category?
No. When a workplace is hazardous, the government does everything it can to reduce the hazard. For instance, mines are dangerous places to work. But the government has drawn up rules and procedures to protect mine workers to the greatest extent possible. If a hazard exists that can be addressed, it is dealt with. The government usually does its best to protect workers from carcinogenic chemicals.

Don't bar and restaurant owners have a right to decide what goes on inside their establishments? Don't they have a right to permit smoking if they want?
Bar and restaurant owners can't do anything they please just because they own the establishment. They must follow certain health and safety regulations designed to protect both patrons and workers. For instance, they cannot leave food unrefrigerated. They cannot crowd too many tables into a certain space because that would create a fire hazard. They cannot discriminate against their employees.

Why can't restaurants and bars install really good ventilation systems?
Ventilation merely takes the smell out of the air. It doesn't remove the carcinogens.

What's next? Will people want to ban beer and fried foods?
Drinking beer and eating fatty foods are not comparable to smoking cigarettes. Drinking beer or eating fatty foods won't harm those around you; smoking will.

Won't smokers make a lot of noise if they are outside on the sidewalk?
Neighborhoods that have many bars and restaurants, such as Adams Morgan or Georgetown, are not expected to be any noisier. Not all smokers will go outside simultaneously to smoke. Many patrons already stand out on the street and talk while they are waiting to get into clubs. There would be greater noise at closing time, when everybody exits establishments at once.