Smoke-free initiative becomes ballot item

The proposed amendment would ban smoking inside restaurants and in all other enclosed workplaces.

©Associated Press
May 14, 2002

TALLAHASSEE -- Voters in November will decide whether they want to change the Florida Constitution to ban smoking at most indoor workplaces, including restaurants.

The state Department of Elections said Monday it has verified more than 492,000 of the 600,000-plus petition signatures submitted by Smoke-Free for Health, the proposed amendment's sponsoring coalition. That's about 3,500 more verified signatures than necessary.

The proposed amendment would outlaw smoking in restaurants, except for outdoor seating areas, and in all other enclosed workplaces, including employee break rooms. Exceptions would be made for stand-alone bars, designated guest rooms in hotels and home businesses that don't provide child care.

State law now limits smoking in public places to designated smoking areas. Public places include government buildings, stores, restaurants, theaters and workplaces.

But Smoke-Free for Health said restricting smoking to one area doesn't work. Its chairman called Monday "a great day for public health."

"Over 600,000 voters agreed -- Florida workplaces going smoke-free will save lives, save money and improve the health of Florida's children, seniors and families," Martin Larsen said.

The Environmental Protection Agency designated secondhand smoke a carcinogen in 1993 and estimates that 3,000 American nonsmokers die each year from lung cancer caused by secondhand smoke.

The Florida Supreme Court has already approved the wording of the proposed amendment. It concluded in a unanimous March 28 ruling that it deals with a single subject and is fairly explained by its title and summary. Scope and clarity are the only two issues the justices consider.

The measure is backed by the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, the AARP of Florida and the Center for Florida's Children.

According to Smoke-Free for Health, more than 70,000 Florida businesses allow smoking somewhere on their premises and 12,000 restaurants allow smoking.

The American Cancer Society says that exposes more than 5.5-million people in Florida to secondhand smoke every week.

Last month, opponents who organized to fight the amendment with a competing proposal to let smoking continue in restaurants said it was dropping its campaign.

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