wellness
Prepare To Enjoy A
Breath Of Fresh Air
eginning May 1, the Dr. Ron
Davis Smoke Free Air Law
will go into effect protecting
Michigan residents
and visitors from exposure
to secondhand tobacco
smoke in all restaurants,
bars and businesses. It is
a fitting tribute that the bill
is named after the late Ron
Davis, M.D., a tobacco con-
trol leader in Michigan and
nationally and past president
of the American Medical
Association.
The law will cover any
workplace and any food
service establishment. A
workplace is a site employing at least
one person. A food service establish-
ment is any place with a license to
serve food or beverages. This includes
any public place—restaurants, bars,
B
shopping malls, bowling alleys, concert
halls, arenas, museums, health facilities,
nursing homes, education facilities and
child care centers.
Exempted from the law are
existing cigar bars as well
as tobacco specialty stores
with 75 percent of their
sales coming from tobacco
products. The gaming areas
of Detroit's three casinos
also are exempted from the
, smoke-free law, while every
bar, restaurant, conference
room and lobby space out-
side of the gaming floors will
be required to be smoke free.
State law does not govern
Native American land, so smoking may
be allowed at tribal casinos.
Michigan is the 38th state to imple-
ment a smoke-free law and is part of the
growing momentum across the country
and around the world to protect every-
one's right to breathe smoke-free air.
The need for protection from second-
hand smoke in all workplaces and public
places is clear. Secondhand smoke
is a serious health hazard that causes
premature death and disease in children
and nonsmoking adults. Secondhand
smoke contains more than 4,000 chemi-
cals, including at least 69 carcinogens.
Secondhand smoke is a proven cause
of lung cancer, heart disease, serious
respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis
and asthma, low birth weight and sud-
den infant death syndrome. A report
released earlier this year by the Institute
of Medicine concluded that second-
hand smoke causes heart attacks while
smoke-free laws prevent them.
Once Michigan's smoke-free law
goes into effect, if someone is found to
be smoking in a workplace, the owner
or manager is required to ask them to
stop. If they don't, the owner or man-
ager is required to deny service and
ask the smoking patron to leave. If they
still don't stop, police could be called.
If a bar or restaurant is allowing smok-
ing, the local health department can be
Secondhand smoke
is a serious health
hazard that causes
premature death and
disease in children and
nonsmoking adults.
asked to investigate. Then it is handled
in a similar fashion to any other health
issue. If the establishment doesn't stop
the smoking, the health department can
shut them down.
The fine for smoking in a smoke-free
establishment will be $100 for the first
offense and up to $500 for subsequent
violations. The restaurant, bar, worksite
and/or smoking patron/employee can
be fined.
■
Sharon Milberger, Ph.D., of Farmington Hills
is interim director of the Detroit-based Henry
Ford Health System's Center for Health
Promotion and Disease Prevention.
Is happy to announce their newest location at
33200 W. 14 Mile Rd., Suite 260, West Bloomfield, MI 48322
248-539-8931
Kenneth Goldman M.D.
Howard Korman M.D.
Bradley Rosenberg M.D.
Evan J. Kass M.D.
Affiliated With William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak
Urologic Oncology, Robotic Prostate, Bladder and Kidney Surgery,
Minimally Invasive Surgery, Laparoscopy, Female Urology,
General Urology, Urodynamics, Laser Surgery, Microsurgery,
Erectile Dysfunction, Male Infertility, Urinary Stones, Neuromodulation
(Interstim), Nerve Re-Routing Procedures and Pediatric Urology.
Donald F. Moylan, M.D., Kenneth M. Peters, M.D.,
William F. Spencer, M.D., Larry T. Skis, M.D., Jose A. Gonzalez, M.D.,
David J. Kearney, M.D., Sugandh D. Shetty, M.D.,
Charles M. Keoleian, M.D., Ronald A. Rubenstein,
Kevin M. Feber, M.D., Michael F. MacDonald, M.D.
31157 Woodward Ave, Royal Oak, MI 48073 • 248-336-0123
4600 Investment Drive, Suite 370, Troy, MI 48098 • 248-267-5035
2221 Livernois, Troy, MI 48083 • 248-519-0305
44344 Dequindre Rd, Suite, 310, Sterling Heights, MI 48314 • 586-997-3530
April 29 • 2010
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