
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, March 21, 1992                   TAG: 9203230163
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-11   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: ANNE M. DONLEY
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

STATE LAW ALLOWS SMOKE-FREE BUILDINGS

I WAS DISAPPOINTED to see my words twisted in the news story Feb. 27, "No-puffing policy going up in smoke." Serious omissions developed as a result. Roanoke County's Board of Supervisors should stick to their original plans and make the county buildings smoke-free. They would be in step with state laws, national findings and the so-called anti-drug wars.

In the first place, the county attorney is wrong in saying that the county went too far under the state law. There is absolutely nothing in the law to prevent anyone from having any building smoke-free.

The Virginia Indoor Clean Air Act in 15.1-291.2A requires every building owned, leased or operated by a local government to have reasonable no-smoking areas. The buildings may be smoke-free. If smoking areas are permitted, then these must not be so large as to prevent having reasonable no-smoking areas, and to reach one you should not have to walk through a smoking area. Signs should be clearly posted.

In the second place, the Code of Virginia states in 40.1-51.1 that every employee has the right to a workplace free from recognized hazards. Second-hand smoke kills 1,000 Virginians every single year through various types of cancers, heart disease and respiratory diseases.

In the third place, the National Institute on Occupational Safety and Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, recommended in its June 1991 report that there be zero smoking in the workplace. But, they said, if you wish to have smoking, it should only be in a separately ventilated room where there would be absolutely no chance of second-hand smoke being recirculated to the no-smoking area.

Second-hand smoke is toxic, carcinogenic and radioactive. Smoke-free buildings save lives and taxpayers' money. Smoke-free businesses save on maintenance and health-care costs. Employee productivity goes up and employee absenteeism goes down.

James City County in 1989 made all of its county buildings smoke-free. Gov. Wilder, in response to the Virginia Indoor Clean Air Act effective in 1990, made his workplace in the Capitol smoke-free.

Halifax County in 1990 first approved some no-smoking areas, then two weeks later held a special meeting of the supervisors to apologize to the tobacco industry and refuse to follow the state law. Henrico County refuses to give county employees any relief from smoke, regardless of the state law.

Roanoke County employees have every right to a smoke-free environment. Workers have the right to sue for a smoke-free environment, although this can be costly to both sides.

The first step to a drug-free workplace is a smoke-free workplace. Nicotine gum or the nicotine patches are available for smokers who need frequent fixes.

Anne M. Donley is executive director of the Virginia Group to Alleviate Smoking in Public, in Richmond.

by CNB