This journey has taken me 5 long years since the 2003 smoking ordinance went into effect and I don't regret 1 ounce of it....well only that I wish Dallas had been smoke free 50 years ago when the first activist started their mission. I started this mission because I believe that ALL EMPLOYEES, even if they work in a Bar and Restaurant--ESPECIALLY if they work in a Bar and/or Restaurant should have the right to a clean and healthy work environment. If Second Hand smoke did not produce over 4000 chemicals when ignited with a flame, like it does, and of those 4000 chemicals, 60 weren't known to be cancer causing carcinogens, which THEY ARE, then I would not have a problem with it at all. However, this is the chemical reaction that happens to every single cigarette everytime it is ignited with a flame. And the problem is that someones choice to smoking that cigarette turns into me smoking their cigarette and suffering from condemned air that they breathe in and then out.
California started the wave of ALL smokefree places of employment over 8 years ago in 2000 and Dallas just caught up with them on a chilly Wednesday on December 10th, 2008. The high paid tobacco lobbyist and employees of the Bar and Restaurant Association and bar owners were out fighting the opposite battle that I was with fears of their jobs being diminished because they fear that smokers and bar patrons will really stop coming out to their establishment if they don't allow them to smoke. Over 22 cities in the State of Texas, over 20 whole states in the USA and over 5 entire Countries have the 100% smoke free ordinance and bar receipts show time and time again that they worries and concerns are false and bar sales actually increase due to the 80% of the people that DONT smoke being able to come out. Also the new Dallas Convention Center was a hot topic as a Smoke free facility and I feel, along with many others, this will entice companies to book their conventions and meetings here due to the fact that Dallas is now a true 100% smoke free city! There were some provisions to this ordinance, however, omitting cigar/cigarette selling bars with 15% or more cigar or cigarette sales on premise. Also I believe that hotels still have the right to label some of their rooms as smoking rooms, but conference rooms, bars and restaurants and any public place within the hotel is SMOKEFREE.
This battle for me is not over just yet, as Dallas is the catalyst for a longer journey to make the entire State of Texas 100% Smokefree. I will begin this mission on January, as the entire state ordinance is the only way we will get the opportunity to see some of our smaller Texas towns allow All Employees to a clean and healthy work environment by omitting their exposure to 2nd hand smoke. The State of Texas Legislature will begin their session this January and it was imperative that we got the City of Dallas on board before that session began with the state this January, as the State Legislature only meets every 2 years and would not imagine waiting to get the state law until 2011!!!!
I will keep you updated on the progress, but in the mean time if you want to click http://www.janusregroup.com/site/4969 to fill out the 'contact us' form and put SmokeFree Texas in the subject line and I will add you to my statewide petition. Also, we will not contact you unless you need real estate services in addition to showing your support for this much needed state wide ordinance.
HOW MUCH CIGARETTES ARE YOU EXPOSED TO AS AN EMPLOYEE WHO WORKS IN A SMOKE ALLOWED LOCATION?
Let's say you work an 8 hour shift and you have 150 seats in your bar section as a bar tender or cocktail server. Let's say that at half capacity only your tables turn 4 times during your shift. Let's say that half of the people smoke at the table and let's say they smoke 2 cigarettes per sitting.
150 seats in section / 2 (for half capacity) = 75 seats active
75 seats active x 4 table turns during your shift 300 people sit during your shift
300 people sit during your shift / 2 (half of them smoke) = 150 people smoke during your shift
150 people smoke during your shift x 2 cigarettes smoked during their stay =
300 cigarettes smoked during your shift x 4000 chemicals per cigarette =
1,200,000 chemicals you are exposed to on every shift you work!!!!!
Representative Natinsky said it best to me:
"It may not be known that Secondhand smoke kills you, but Secondhand smoke causes cancer...and CANCER KILLS YOU!"
Posted by Heather Anderson. Supported by Janus Real Estate Group.
All content provided by Janus Real Estate Group. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2008.
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