Overview
Smoking is a serious health hazard, killing over 440,000 Americans each year and nearly15,000 Georgians each year. Smoking kills more people than alcohol, AIDS, carcrashes, illegal drugs, murders and suicides combined.
Unfortunately, smoking doesn't just affect smokers. Second-hand smoke leads to 35,000 deaths per year, and the Surgeon General has concluded that there is no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke. As a result, nearly 1,000 cities and several states have taken action to protect their citizens by banning smoking inside of all workplaces, including bars and restaurants. Atlanta's restaurant and barworkers are most at risk. Many workers spend 8 hours a day or more breathing in second-hand smoke. In a smoke-filled room for one shift of 8 hours, these workers are inhaling the equivalent of one pack of cigarettes per day.
Smoking a pack a day should not be a condition for employment in Atlanta.
That's why Georgia PIRG is working to ban smoking in all workplaces, including bars and restaurants. While the Georgia Smokefree Air Act was an important step forward, it does not fully protect Georgians, because smoking is still permitted in many indoor workplaces. In 2008, Georgia PIRG will be working with our allies to ban smoking in all of Atlanta’s workplaces, so we can protect the health of our workforce.
