Dear Policy Maker,

As a city/town community member, I completely support making all workplaces in our city smoke-free. There are serious health risks that exist from secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke not only smells bad, but is unhealthy. It increases your risk of heart disease and people who work in these places breathe it in longer, which increases their possibility of developing lung cancer, asthma and emphysema.

This is a health and safety issue; this is not about government control. No one should be expected to work in an unsafe environment, and unfortunately bar and gaming facility employees and entertainers in city/town are forced to do so everyday. All other industries are regulated for health and safety, and smoke-free policies provide that same protection for service industry employees and entertainers.

I understand the concern about profit, but studies have shown in cities where smoke-free policies have gone into effect that there has been no negative impact on the bottom line. In fact, going smoke-free actually improved business in some instances. It is also likely that more people will start going to these places once they are smoke-free because they can breathe easier and not go home smelling like smoke.

I encourage our policymakers to take this necessary step in city/town to protect the health of employees, musicians and customers in all industries, by making city/town 100% smoke-free.

Sincerely,
First & Last Name