Lawmakers must pass bill strengthening Pa.'s smoking ban: As I See It

Publication Date: 2013-11-18

• Author:Theresa Conejo
• Publication:PennLive.com

Health advocates from across Pennsylvania declared a major partial victory in 2008 with the passage of the Clean Indoor Air Act. 

At the time of passage, we celebrated a public health milestone – for the first time in Pennsylvania history, more Pennsylvanians than ever before would be protected from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke.

Unfortunately, the law was far from comprehensive. It was, in fact, a compromise that aimed to protect the majority of the public’s health while still allowing some establishments, including bars, casinos, private clubs and other venues, to put the health of their employees and others at risk. 

The American Heart Association believes that no one’s health should be compromised, and, certainly, no one should have to risk their health to make a living.

Last June, state Rep. Mario Scavello, R-Monroe, introduced legislation that would eliminate exemptions in the law. 

The American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, and other public health organizations across the state support this legislation as a necessary way to save thousands of Pennsylvanians from an entirely preventable cause of disease and death....