Protect Local Control

Ensuring Community Rights
To Pass Smokefree Ordinances
 

State Status

No Preemption

Pending Legislation

Action Alert

Do you support smokefree air for all California workers?

Publication Date: 2011-03-21

California residents, do you believe that all workers in the state deserve to breathe smokefree air?

If so, we need you to get involved!

Too many Californians remain left behind from our state’s workplace protections from breathing toxic tobacco smoke on the job. Everyone should have the right to breathe air that is free of tobacco smoke in their workplace.

Recently, Senate Bill 575 was introduced in order to close loopholes in California’s smokefree air law. The 1995 smokefree workplace law unfortunately contains a number of significant loopholes that leave a large number of Californians still exposed to secondhand smoke at work and in public places, such as in businesses with five or fewer employees, warehouses, employee break rooms, retail tobacco shops, and hotel lobbies.

Because of these loopholes, California lags behind 23 other states and hundreds of communities with stronger smokefree laws that more effectively protect their employees and the public. Now is the time for California to regain its leadership and bring its smokefree workplace protections up to 2011 standards. This legislative session SB575, and with a new Governor in office, provides an excellent opportunity to make this happen.

Tobacco industry allies are already speaking out to oppose the bill, so your involvement and support is very important!

ANR is pleased to work with the California Tobacco Control Program, American Lung Association in California, American Cancer Society, and the American Heart Association toward our joint goal of ensuring that no California employees have to breathe toxic tobacco smoke on the job.

Here’s what you can do to help:

1. Contact your California Senator to encourage them to support SB575, which will close loopholes that leave many Californians still exposed to toxic tobacco smoke on the job.

2. Sign a resolution in support of closing California's loopholes. Ask community organizations that you are a member of, or work with, to sign the resolution. Do you know local business owners who would like to sign on? Download a copy of the resolution at http://closeloopholes.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/SHS-Resolution-Finalx.pdf.

3. Share your story, or a loved one’s story, of being exposed in the workplace in California to help put a face on this problem. Tobacco industry allies are already speaking out to oppose the bill, so your stories need to be shared with legislators to help them understand that real people are suffering from breathing smoke on the job. Submit your story online to http://closeloopholes.com/share_your_story and email it to anr@no-smoke.org.

For more information, contact ANR or go to http://closeloopholes.com. Together, we can help all Californians breathe easier on the job.

Thanks for taking action!

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