§ 17-132. Purpose.

For the purpose of this article and the sections contained herein that the unified government declares support for the promotion of public health by decreasing citizen's exposure to secondhand smoke and creates smoke free environments for workers and citizens through regulation in the work place and all public places. The unified government does further find as follows:

(1)

Secondhand smoke exposure causes disease and premature death in children and adults who do not smoke.

(2)

Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at an increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), acute respiratory problems, ear infections, and asthma attacks, and that smoking by parents causes respiratory symptoms and slows lung growth in their children.

(3)

Exposure of adults to secondhand smoke has immediate adverse effects on the cardiovascular system and causes coronary heart disease and lung cancer.

(4)

There is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke.

(5)

Establishing smoke-free workplaces is the only effective way to ensure that secondhand smoke exposure does not occur in the workplace because ventilation and other air cleaning technologies cannot adequately prevent exposure of nonsmokers to secondhand smoke.

(6)

Evidence from peer-reviewed studies shows that smoke-free policies and laws do not have an adverse economic impact on the hospitality industry.

(Ord. No. O-91-08, § 2, 12-18-2008)