A St. Charles County municipality's Wellness Commission recently recommended the enactment of a legislated smoking ban in restaurants and bars. An alternative proposal was also offered: a recommendation to put the issue on the ballot for voters to decide. For a number of reasons, these proposals did not gain significant support.
Smoking bans are notoriously hard to legislate. But does that mean that there is nothing that the health conscious person can do to avoid the potentially harmful effects of tobacco smoke and that we should throw up our hands in despair? It does not!
Here are some suggested personal strategies:
- If you don't smoke now, DON'T START! This is by far the best way to avoid the adverse health impact of tobacco smoke.
- If you do smoke, STOP! This is usually a very difficult habit to overcome, but there are classes available to help. There are also prescription and non–prescription medications that can help some people to achieve a successful outcome. If you have tried and failed to break the habit, TRY AGAIN! For more information on smoking cessation programs in St. Charles County, call (636) 949–7413.
- If you are a smoker, do not expose family members, friends, or others around you to your smoke. Secondhand smoke is an increasing health concern. Children in a household with a smoker are especially at risk. Smoke outside in an area where your smoke will not be a problem to others.
- When you are making decisions on dining at a restaurant, you might choose one that offers "smoke–free" sections. Be sure they are truly smoke–free areas and if they are not, tell the manager of the food establishment and leave. Even better, chose to dine ONLY at restaurants that are TOTALLY smoke–free.
- Every month, more restaurants choose to go smoke free. The more of us that "vote" for smoke–free by patronizing only smoke–free restaurants, the more likely we will be to see their numbers increase.
So don't sit around waiting for laws banning smoking in restaurants and bars. We can all take our fate into our own hands NOW when it comes to not smoking, quitting smoking, choosing smoke–free dining, and protecting our families and friends from secondhand smoke.
For some people, other issues remain and are not as easy to deal with. This is especially true for those employed in a business where smoking is allowed and who are exposed to tobacco smoke when they work. Obviously, one solution is to get another job in a smoke–free environment. However, that is often easier said than done. So, some issues will require more work. In the meantime, everyone can still reduce or eliminate their exposure to tobacco smoke by taking control and choosing to NOT be exposed whenever possible.