City passes comprehensive smoke-free workplace ordinance.
Verona, March 23rd, 2009—The Verona City Council voted unanimously, 8 to 0, Monday night in favor of a comprehensive smoke-free air ordinance. The ordinance will end all workplace smoking in the city including inside bars and restaurants starting August 15, 2009, the same day Dane County implements its own countywide smoke-free law.
“We’re very excited the city of Verona is going smoke-free,” said Jill Bemis a member of the citizen group Smoke-free Verona, which supported the ordinance. “Giving everyone the right to smoke-free air at work is an important public health matter and it’s great to see the city council and the community really step forward and take this action.”
“Tonight’s vote was the right vote at the right time,” said Steve Reinen, also with Smoke-free Verona. “Middleton, Madison, Monona, Fitchburg, they’re all right next door and they’re all smoke-free, not to mention the county going smoke free this summer. We felt strongly that the people of Verona deserved the same health protection as the people in these other cities and we’re glad the city council agreed.”
Verona is now the 12th Wisconsin community to pass a comprehensive smoke-free workplace ordinance, more than half of which have passed in just the last 12 months. Governor Doyle has included a statewide smoke-free law in his proposed 2009-2011 state budget currently under consideration.
“We’re glad the people of Verona will soon be able to breathe smoke-free air,” Maureen Busalacchi, Executive Director of SmokeFree Wisconsin. “But this benefit really needs to be extended to every worker in the state. No one should have to face an increased risk of cancer or suffer an unnecessary heart attack because of someone else’s habit.”
“Tobacco related illness costs Wisconsin more than $2 billion each year in health care costs, $500 million of which comes directly out of taxpayers’ pockets through Medicaid costs,” explained Eric Schutt, Wisconsin Government Relations Director for the American Cancer Society. “Ending workplace smoking in cities like Verona and all across the state would save everyone money and numerous lives.”
Twenty-five states have passed statewide smoke-free laws as a matter of public health including Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa and just last week, South Dakota.
