Health, choice and rights dominated recent discussions before the City Commission on Mayor Chris Boswell’s proposal to extend the smoking ban to all workplaces, including bars, hotels and private clubs and organizations, such as the Elks Lodge, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.
“The current ordinance doesn’t guarantee a 100 percent smoke-free environment,” Boswell told a standing room only crowd of interested persons at Wednesday’s commission meeting that included cancer survivors, friends of people who died of cancer or are suffering from it, a lobbyist from Austin for the American Cancer Society, and the medical community.
The proposed extension would ban not only cheapest cigarettes but also e-cigarettes from the workplace. Youth of the community through an organization called Harlingen Smoke Busters also joined proponents of the smoke-free workplace for all employees. The organization is composed of middle school students. Teens Michael Garza and Joshua Delgado addressed the commission, pointing to the number of people who die from secondhand smoke, encouraging the commission to extend the ban and to educate youth and the community.
Bar owners, smokers, non-smokers and former smokers also attended the meeting, touting a person’s, an organization’s and a business’ right to choose. Amid some concerns, the commission voted for the mayor’s proposal, but a second vote is required. Commissioners expect that city staff will address their concerns before the proposal is presented to the commission for the second vote.
Referring to private organizations, Commissioner Danny Castillo questioned what the implications of the proposal would be when the workers at these organizations are volunteers. Boswell said that the intent is to limit exposure to workers who don’t have a choice of where they work. However, he said, some of the organizations do have employees. “If volunteers, that might make a difference,” he said.
Commissioner Victor Leal also expressed concern about the ban extending to private clubs. He pointed out that the Elks Lodge has a public area where bingos are held. It also has a private area where smoking is allowed and it is a “contained area,” Leal said.
Leal also said that he had received calls from the hotel industry, and pointed out that in Brownsville, hotels are allowed to have 20 percent of their rooms for smokers. Leal, a former smoker, said that more research is needed before the commission can make a decision and suggested that other smoking ordinances be reviewed.
“The current ordinance doesn’t guarantee a 100 percent smoke-free environment,” Boswell told a standing room only crowd of interested persons at Wednesday’s commission meeting that included cancer survivors, friends of people who died of cancer or are suffering from it, a lobbyist from Austin for the American Cancer Society, and the medical community.
The proposed extension would ban not only cheapest cigarettes but also e-cigarettes from the workplace. Youth of the community through an organization called Harlingen Smoke Busters also joined proponents of the smoke-free workplace for all employees. The organization is composed of middle school students. Teens Michael Garza and Joshua Delgado addressed the commission, pointing to the number of people who die from secondhand smoke, encouraging the commission to extend the ban and to educate youth and the community.
Bar owners, smokers, non-smokers and former smokers also attended the meeting, touting a person’s, an organization’s and a business’ right to choose. Amid some concerns, the commission voted for the mayor’s proposal, but a second vote is required. Commissioners expect that city staff will address their concerns before the proposal is presented to the commission for the second vote.
Referring to private organizations, Commissioner Danny Castillo questioned what the implications of the proposal would be when the workers at these organizations are volunteers. Boswell said that the intent is to limit exposure to workers who don’t have a choice of where they work. However, he said, some of the organizations do have employees. “If volunteers, that might make a difference,” he said.
Commissioner Victor Leal also expressed concern about the ban extending to private clubs. He pointed out that the Elks Lodge has a public area where bingos are held. It also has a private area where smoking is allowed and it is a “contained area,” Leal said.
Leal also said that he had received calls from the hotel industry, and pointed out that in Brownsville, hotels are allowed to have 20 percent of their rooms for smokers. Leal, a former smoker, said that more research is needed before the commission can make a decision and suggested that other smoking ordinances be reviewed.
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