Julia Patterson Column: Putting a damper on public smoking

According to the World Health Organization, tobacco use kills more than five million people every year – more than HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined. If current trends continue, tobacco could be responsible for more than eight million deaths per year by 2030 – nearly the equivalent of the entire population of New York City.

At 11 percent (approximately 166,000 adults), King County has one of the lowest adult smoking rates in Washington state.

Although our rates are comparatively low, there’s much that needs to be done to reduce this leading cause of death. People of color, those with low incomes, and those residing in South King County are particularly hard-hit, with smoking rates much higher than the rest of the County.

Earlier this year, the King County Board of Health was notified of these continuing challenges and responded by convening a Tobacco Policy Committee, made up of four Board of Health members and Public Health staff. The culmination of the past six months of work included identifying three tobacco-related policy recommendations, two which have already been acted upon by the Board. They include:

1. Improving the smoking ban in public places/places of employment

2. Recognizing and addressing secondhand smoke exposure in multi-unit buildings

3. Restricting the sale and availability of certain tobacco products

Improving the smoking ban

In December 2005, voters in Washington state passed the Smoking in Public Places law, which prohibits smoking in all public places and workplaces, including restaurants and bars. While a vast majority of businesses in King County have complied with the law, there are still a number of establishments that are not in compliance, some committing multiple violations.

Previously, all establishments, regardless of size, faced $100/day fines for smoking violations. At its September meeting, the Board of Health adopted a new policy, which provides clarification of existing code, increases the civil penalty for large venues, and establishes re-inspection fees for repeat violators.

This action allows larger fines in places like stadiums, movie theatres and other entertainment venues. Compliance with the law has historically been difficult in many of these larger venues because their hours of operation are sporadic, which limits enforcement.

Violations in places like Qwest Field impact thousands more people than a violation in a small restaurant. Previously, the same fine was imposed at both types of establishments. By creating a scaled fine structure, the law will provide greater financial incentives for large venues to ensure that smoking is prohibited in all protected areas.

Recognizing and addressing secondhand smoke exposure in multi-unit buildings

Numerous studies show that tobacco smoke is a major contributor to indoor air pollution, and that secondhand smoke is a cause of disease in healthy nonsmokers – attributing to 1 in 10 tobacco-related deaths.

Cigarette smoke can travel throughout a multi-unit building, like an apartment complex, and research shows that structural modifications or air-filtration systems are not adequate to prevent smoke from traveling between units. A report published by the Surgeon General in 2006 concluded that banning smoking in all indoor areas is the minimum effective protection from secondhand smoke.

To address this issue, the Board of Health recently endorsed a model policy for landlords and housing authorities that choose to go smoke-free. This endorsement does not mandate no-smoking policies in multi-unit buildings. Rather, it educates landlords that they have the legal right to implement these policies, should they choose.

Restricting the sale and availability of certain tobacco products

Public health in this country was on the winning end of a major victory last summer when the federal government gave the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the power to regulate tobacco products.

The legislation does not allow the FDA to ban cigarettes or nicotine, but does impose tighter regulations on things like marketing to lure first-time smokers, and requires manufacturers to submit product ingredients and provide research on their health-related effects.

The Board of Health is currently in the process of exploring creative ways to empower these types of federal regulations here in King County, and it’s likely that the work of the Tobacco Policy Committee will continue into early 2011.

For more information on tobacco prevention, resources for quitting smoking or a list of current tobacco laws and regulations visit http://www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/drugs/tobacco.aspx