BROOKSVILLE — A group of concerned citizens have started a push to make public buildings smoke-free in Bracken County.
On Tuesday, the Bracken Breathes Easy Coalition held a public meeting at the Bracken County Extension Office, where several guests were invited to speak about the importance of being smoke-free indoors.
Those speakers included Tim Sizemore, chair of Fitness for Life Around Grant County, Karen Short, APRN with Primary Plus and Lee Ann Taylor, community adviser and program coordinator for the Kentucky Center for Smoke-Free Policy.
Sizemore spoke briefly about the smoke-free push in Williamstown.
According to Sizemore, Williamstown businesses have been successful since becoming an indoor smoke-free community.
“Between Jan. 1 and July 31, we have only had four complaints,” he said. “Businesses were eager for us to get this passed. Once you get people interested in that fact that it’s not about smokers, it’s about the smoke, then you can get people to really talk about it. It’s better for health, better for businesses. We worked with the mayor who worked with the council to gather information and data. Using that data, we met with people and got them on board. The students talked to the council about why they want to live in a smoke-free environment.”
Sizemore said the reaction to the smoke-free push in Williamstown was overwhelmingly positive and everyone on the city council voted in favor except one person.
“He is one of the staunchest supports,” Sizemore said. “But, he had constituents who were against it and he wanted to make sure their voices were heard, so he voted against it for them.”
Short discussed the benefits to having public buildings go smoke-free.
According to Short, the benefits of businesses being smoke-free include cleaner air, reduction of people who smoke, it makes it easier for those who want to quite, it sets an example for the youth and less youth will start to smoke, it saves money, decreases the housekeeping/maintenance costs, saves healthcare dollars.
Short used Lexington as an example of the benefits.
“Since Lexington implemented their ban on indoor smoking, they have seen a 32 percent reduction in adult smokers,” she said.
According to Short, smoking costs businesses lost labor due to smoke breaks and absences as well as higher healthcare costs.
She also touched on the dangers of second hand smoke.
“Second hand smoke is as bad, if not worse than, smoking,” she said. “Second hand smoke harms workers, it causes lung cancer and higher risks of stroke, asthma and other breathing disorders. There are 250 chemicals in second hand smoke.”
After Short finished, Taylor touched on many of the same things, but also talked about an air quality study that was conducted in Bracken County.
According to Taylor, in 2018, an air quality study found that the indoor air in Bracken County was polluted.
She also said that more businesses are becoming smoke-free across the state.
“Businesses thrive in a smoke-free community,” she said. “Studies show that 87 percent of guests prefer smoke-free hospitality and 31.6 percent of the state has a 100 percent smoke-free ordinance. Smoking is not only killing us, but it is also bankrupting us.”
Donna Teegarden, with the Bracken County Health Department, read a statement from Debra St. Clair, the owner of Carota’s Pizza in Augusta.
In the statement, St. Claire gave her reason for going smoke-free inside her business.
“I had a whole dining room full of children,” she said. “One of the mothers ask if I could do something about the situation of the two ladies lighting up cigarettes. I had to say no, because we allowed smoking at that time. One mother did leave with her children. After that occurrence and losing two family members to cancer caused by smoking, I decided to make my restaurant smoke-free on Sept. 24, 2014. I was worried it would hurt my business, but it didn’t hurt my business. I think it actually helped to increase the dining room with more families dining in. It’s actually one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
One person asked where the county and city officials stood on having a smoke-free ordinance. Bracken County Health Department Director Tony Cox said the reactions have been mixed, but the coalition is going to continue gathering data and educating the public.
