Iowa Moving Forward On Smokefree Workplaces
February 14th, 2008 at 04:48pm Geraldine
Although Iowa Progress has reported optimistically on this in the past, it seems that a workplace smoking ban is finally making progress in the state legislature. Debate is set for next week on a bill that would ban smoking from most workplaces. While the bill is imperfect and contains an exemption for casinos, it still offers a positive step towards improving the health of many Iowans. As this study by the American Lung Association shows, workplace smoking bans are not only good for public health but they’re good for business. In fact, it is estimated that secondhand smoke in the workplace costs Americans $10 billion a year.
Not only that, a recent Des Moines Register poll found that 75% of Iowans supported a workplace smoking ban. So why would anyone oppose a bill that’s popular, good for public health and good for business? It’s hard to say.
One strong opponent of a workplace smoking ban is House Minority Leader Christopher Rants. Rants frames his opposition in concern to the fact that it might deter smokers from going to bars and thus hurting local bar owners. Although a cynic might argue that Rants might be influenced by the fact he’s taken over $6,000 in donations from Big Tobacco over the past few years, those who appreciate Rants’ firm sense of personal morality know that his stand against public opinion, public health and Iowa business is solely in defense of the corner bar and the small town tavern and has nothing to do with any desire to profit from the largess of Philip Morris and other major tobacco companies.
However, despite Rants’ “principled” opposition, there’s still a strong chance that a workplace smoking ban will still happen in Iowa this year.
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Entry Filed under: State Politics
Related Searches: american lung association, christopher rants, des moines register, personal morality, principled opposition
29 Comments Add your own
1. Chris | February 27th, 2008 at 11:26 pm
So Rants took $6000 dollars…care to disclose how much money the drug and insurance companies pumped into the Democratic coffers to ram this legislation through? And how much from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation?
Funny how the advertisements for the stop smoking aids (from the drug companies) are everywhere, along with the ads from Iowa Department of Public Health.
You stuck it to the smokers last year with the additional dollar tax. Now lets’s stick them again.
If you really cared about the public health regarding smoking, you’d ban them. Oh I forgot, someone offered an amendment to do just that last year. And it was defeated….by the majority party. It’s all about the M-O-N-E-Y.
You’ve lost me and my vote folks, I’ll be changing my party affiliation soon.
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[…] worth noting that the Iowa General Assembly finally passed an indoor smoking ban this week. This bill had been working its way through the legislature all session and ping-ponged between the House and […]
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29. Iowa Progress Iowa Moving&hellip | June 7th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
[…] Iowa Progress Iowa Moving Forward On Smokefree Workplaces Posted by root 4 hours ago (http://iowaprogress.com) Aids from the drug companies are everywhere along with the ads from iowa department of public health if you really cared about the public health regarding smoking you 39 d ban them leave a comment name required email required hidden icons by kevin potts p Discuss | Bury | News | Iowa Progress Iowa Moving Forward On Smokefree Workplaces […]
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