INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Campaign for Smokefree Air is withdrawing its support of House Bill 1149, which was intended to protect thousands of Hoosier workers from the dangers of secondhand smoke, but instead has become a weak piece of legislation that leaves far too many workers in danger.

Since its introduction, we have worked quietly in the background to keep the bill as strong as possible even as numerous exemptions were added. The Conference Committee report continues to exempt bars and taverns, and also allows some businesses to establish separate smoking areas, which have been proved to be ineffective. Those two provisions leave far too many Hoosiers unprotected.

Experience tells us that if HB 1149 becomes law in its current form, Hoosiers will be stuck with that law for at least five to seven years before lawmakers are willing to re-address the issue.

We are proud of the efforts of Reps. Eric Turner and Charlie Brown, who negotiated the bill through the House of Representatives, but we are very disappointed by those in the Senate who made a mockery of smokefree air and the legislation.

Twenty-nine other states have enacted strong smokefree laws that include all restaurants and bars, and they are much better off for it. Numerous studies have highlighted the positive effects of smokefree laws from both health and economic standpoints. The facts are that there are fewer heart attacks, lower healthcare costs and no drop in economic activity when smokefree laws are adopted.

It is hard to believe that the legislature continue to believe otherwise.

Hoosiers deserve, and indeed 70 percent want, a better smokefree law that includes bars and taverns. In our opinion, it is better to come back and fight for a strong smokefree law than to pass House Bill 1149 and leave so many Hoosier workers unprotected for many more years to come.

The next step is what is known as a conference committee. During this process appointed members from each chamber will try to work out the differences in the Senate and House versions of the bill. If a compromise is reached the bill will travel back to each chamber for a final vote where no additional changes can be made.  The House and Senate will both have to pass the conference committee version of the bill before March 8 in order for it to advance to the Governor’s desk for signing.

Conference committee is our final opportunity to strengthen this bill and pass a strong smokefree workplace law in 2012. We cannot do it without your support. This legislation could provide meaningful protection for Hoosiers, but in its current form it’s just smoke and mirrors.

Once the members of the conference committee are announced, we will send you an update with a call to action asking the conferees to take the opportunity to strengthen the bill.

Please contact your senator right away to tell them that bars & taverns must be smoke-free and local control must be restored. Remind your Senator that all Hoosiers deserve protection from secondhand smoke.

Join the movement — please forward this to friends and state legislators to support a strong smokefree workplace law in Indiana!

Governor Daniels told reporters today that he will sign a smoke-free air bill.

We’ve got to keep this bill strong! Stay tuned for ways you can help!

In the next few days, members of the Indiana House and the Indianapolis City-County Council will have critical opportunities — even an obligation — to protect Hoosiers’ health by passing a comprehensive workplace smoking ban.

They must not be deterred by misplaced arguments about personal rights. No one has a right to endanger another person’s health. (And the scientific evidence on the danger of secondhand smoke is overwhelming.)

Nor should they let the fears of some business owners sidetrack them from safeguarding more than 6 million Hoosiers from heart disease, cancer and other major illnesses associated with cigarette smoke. Twenty-nine states already ban smoking in restaurants and bars, and the well-established record in those places — from Arizona to Wisconsin, Ohio to Utah — is that business not only rebounds but flourishes after customers adjust to the new rules.

On the state level, House Bill 1149 would prohibit smoking in most workplaces, including restaurants and bars. That bill has been approved in committee and was scheduled to come up on the House floor for amendments on Tuesday. However, the House lost yet another day of business because Democrats once again stayed off the floor in protest of “right to work” legislation.

The deadline for the House to send legislation to the Senate is only a week away. At this critical time, it’s crucial for Hoosiers to press their state representatives for passage of HB 1149.

A proposed smoking ban also is at a key stage on the local level. The City-County Council is scheduled to vote Monday night on an ordinance that would add bars to the existing workplace ban. Public sentiment for the ban is strong, but the council has failed to act in the recent past partially out of partisan gamesmanship and partly because of an unwillingness to compromise. That must not be the case Monday night.

In a state and metro area with significantly higher than average death rates for cardiovascular disease, failure to pass a comprehensive workplace smoking ban may well cost the lives of many Hoosiers.

It’s time to act. Time to finally move forward.

CONTACT: Tim Harms (317) 732-4717, American Heart Association

Ashley Rockhold (202) 296-5469, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

70 Percent of Indiana Voters Support Law Making Workplaces, Restaurants

and Bars Smoke-Free

Pending legislation, backed by Gov. Daniels, would protect the right to breathe clean air inside all workplaces

Indianapolis (January 24, 2012) – A new poll released today finds that Hoosiers overwhelmingly support a law prohibiting smoking inside all workplaces.

By a strong majority (70 percent to 27 percent), Indiana voters support a law that would prohibit smoking in indoor workplaces and public places, including restaurants and bars.  This support comes from a broad-based coalition of voters across the state, including 73 percent of Republicans, 66 percent of Democrats, and 73 percent of Independents.

“Voters know that secondhand smoke is a health hazard, and this poll shows that they want a strong law protecting their right to breathe clean air,” said Danielle Patterson, Co-Chair of the Indiana Campaign for Smokefree Air.  “The Legislature should listen to the people of Indiana and Governor Daniels and act quickly to make all workplaces smoke-free.”

The survey of 500 registered voters was released by the Indiana Campaign for Smokefree Air, a coalition of health groups including the American Heart Association, American Lung Association and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

The survey also found among Indiana voters:

•             85 percent believe that secondhand smoke is a health hazard, including 58 percent               who say it is a serious health hazard.

•             71 percent believe the right of employees and customers to breathe clean air in                     restaurants and bars is more important than the right of smokers to smoke and                     businesses owners to allow smoking.

•             84 percent feel all workers should be protected from exposure to secondhand                         smoke in the workplace.

Hoosiers recognize the benefits of a smoke-free environment, saying that restaurants and bars would be healthier and more enjoyable if they were smoke-free.   Nearly nine out of ten voters (88 percent) believe that these places would be healthier, and 84 percent want to be able to enjoy Indiana’s restaurants and bars without smelling like smoke at the end of the evening.

“Secondhand smoke is harmful to everyone, and everyone should be protected from it,” said Kevin O’Flaherty, Co-Chair of the Indiana Campaign for Smokefree Air.  “It is a matter of fairness – everyone should have the right to breathe clean air at work. The Legislature should reject exemptions that would force some workers to continue putting their health at risk in order to earn a paycheck.”

The Indiana House is expected to take up the smoke-free legislation (HB 1149) this week.  Governor Daniels has called on the Legislature to pass the strongest possible law with the fewest possible exemptions.

The need for protection from secondhand smoke in all workplaces and public places has never been clearer.  Secondhand smoke contains thousands of chemicals, many of which are toxic (such as formaldehyde, arsenic and lead), and is a proven cause of cancer, heart disease and respiratory illnesses.  Twenty-nine states currently have strong smoke-free laws that include restaurants and bars.

The statewide survey of 500 likely 2012 general election voters in Indiana was conducted by Public Opinion Strategies.  The survey was conducted January 21-23, 2012 and has an overall margin of error of +/- 4.38 percentage points.

You can read the full poll here