Englin Files Smoking Ban Bill

FRIDAY, JANUARY 9 2009
By Times Staff

Alexandrian Del. David Englin (D-45) filed legislation Monday for the 2009 General Assembly session to protect the health and safety of workers and customers by banning smoking in restaurants and bars throughout Virginia. 

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine formally announced a statewide smoke-free restaurants proposal in Arlington on Tuesday as part of his 2009 legislative agenda.

“Especially in today’s economy, it is wrong to force restaurant workers to choose between their jobs or breathing cancer-causing second-hand smoke,” Englin said. “Governor Kaine has been a consistent leader on this issue, and I know those of us who have been fighting for people’s right to breathe smoke-free air appreciate his continued commitment to standing with us.”

While Alexandria restaurants allow smoking, many eateries have voluntarily banned cigarettes. The City Council discourages it as well, especially for new restaurants in the city, and has shown interest in legislation.

“Little by little, various smoke-free proposals have moved forward each year, only to be blocked by the General Laws Committee in the House,” Englin said. “This year, the General Laws Committee has a new chairman and a new makeup, so I’m very hopeful that we’ll see new progress. 

While Englin’s bill would create a full statewide ban, other legislators are expected to file legislation allowing regional or local bans on smoking in restaurants and bars.

“Clearly, the time has come for the House of Delegates — the people’s House — to reflect the will of the people on this issue,” Englin said.

Englin represents parts of Alexandria, Arlington and Fairfax County in the General Assembly.

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Reader Comments

generalsn
8:55 a.m.
January 10, 2009

Now that the new year is starting, the "new push" is returning to every state or community that has no ban, or a ban with ANY exemptions. Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson, and their Robert J. Wood Foundation and it's many political action committees (charites) have endless funding to keep armies of lobbyists throughout the nation employed for years to come. Their instructions are to keep returning EVERY YEAR until ALL exemptions are gone. They made the print of their book smaller to keep people from reading it, but you can CTRL and scroll to enlarge it. Here it is. www.no-smoke.org/pdf/CIA_Fundamentals...

CarolT
2:59 p.m.
January 11, 2009

The anti-smokers are guilty of flagrant scientific fraud for ignoring more than 50 studies, which show that human papillomaviruses cause over ten times more lung cancers than they pretend are caused by secondhand smoke. Passive smokers are more likely to have been exposed to this virus, so the anti-smokers' studies, because they are all based on nothing but lifestyle questionnaires, have been cynically DESIGNED to falsely blame passive smoking for all those extra lung cancers that are really caused by HPV.

http://www.smokershistory.com/hpvlung...

The anti-smokers have committed the same type of fraud with every disease they blame on smoking and passive smoking, as well as ignoring other types of evidence that proves they are lying, such as the fact that the death rates from asthma have more than doubled since their movement began.

http://www.smokershistory.com/newview...

And, that bilge that "ETS causes heart disease" is a lie, too. The death rates from AMI in Pueblo actually ROSE the year after the smoking ban. Those anti-smoker frauds only claimed that the rates of HOSPITALIZATION for AMI declined, not deaths! And, they could create a false impression of a decline merely by being too free with admissions (and raking in extra money for it) beforehand, and then magically reduce the admission rate by tightening up the policy.

http://www.smokershistory.com/etshear...

kp
8:17 p.m.
September 14, 2009

A good thought, i would say. Yes it is better for the community, creates a eco freindly environment for everyone. Keeping restaurants clean would be a positive for the community.