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Los Angeles Smoking Bans - Even More Reason To Quit Smoking
The state of California has declared that tobacco smoke is a toxic pollutant. Statewide, there is a ban on smoking in enclosed workplaces, including restaurants and bars, within 20 feet of an entrance or working window of a publically owned building. In California, the state has given local communities wide latitude in self-regulating smoking. Because of this, Los Angeles County has toughened its smoking laws. Smoking has been banned from all public parks, beaches, golf courses and other public areas. This ban was passed in September 2009 and health reasons were cited as the major impetus for passing this law. As of March 2011, the City of Los Angeles has made it illegal to smoke in outdoor dining areas. Smokers must be at least 10 feet away from dining areas including patios and 40 feet away from a food kiosk or food truck. Businesses are now required to post notices letting people know that smoking is no longer allowed. Los Angeles cities with similar laws include Beverly Hills, Pasadena, Glendale, Santa Monica and Calabasas. According to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Tobacco Control Program (TCPP), smoking costs Californians 2.3 billion dollars in direct health care costs and 2 billion dollars in lost productivity (related to illnesses and premature deaths). Cigarette smoke is the number one cause of preventable death worldwide. The World Health Organization says that cigarette smoke caused 5.4 million deaths in 2004 and a 100 million deaths during the 20th century. The health risks of smoking are well known: leading among them are lung cancer and heart disease. Prior to World War I, lung cancer was considered to be rare, so rare that most doctors practicing at that time would never see a single case. After World War I, when cigarette smoking became popular, lung cancer became so prevalent it was almost epidemic. Smokers who quit will see decreased risks over time for contracting the diseases associated with tobacco smoke. For instance, after a year, a smoker who quits will halve his risk of heart disease. Considering the costs and the risks associated with smoking, Los Angeles County and other local governments are taking the necessary steps to encourage people to stop smoking. Nonetheless, it is a choice that each smoking Los Angeleno needs to individually make. If you need help to quit smoking in Los Angeles go to: Stop Smoking Los Angeles 310-598-5175. ...read more
By Stop Smoking Los Angeles March 09, 2011
Santa Monica Wants You To Quit Smoking
The City of Santa Monica really doesn't want you to smoke. It has some of the most aggressive stop smoking laws in the state of California. By limiting the places one may smoke a cigarette, the City is making it harder to be a smoker. Most recently, the Santa Monica city Council passed ordinance 2318 which bans smoking even on private patios and porches. This means that in Santa Monica, you can't light up on your own porch or balcony. Fines for the first offense are $100 for the first offense and upwards of $200-300 for subsequent offenses. Landlords are required to post notices in apartment building common areas to inform their tenants of the law and the consequences for violating it. This ordinance was put into place on top of existing Santa Monica laws that ban smoking in most public places, such as beaches, bus stops, parks, in the common areas of multiunit apartment buildings and within twenty feet of the entrances to all public buildings. These laws were enacted in 2006. Violations of this law are subject to a fine of $250. The State of California has decreed that cigarette smoke constitutes a hazardous air pollutant and has given communities wide latitude in passing laws that ban smoking. The Santa Monica City Council has stated that the reasons for the strict anti-smoking laws have to do with the hazards posed by secondhand smoke, also known as environmental tobacco smoke (ETS.) Research has shown that there are numerous dangers posed by ETS. Chief among them are cancer, heart disease and increased health risks to children. One of the major concerns with tobacco smoke is its ability to cause cancer. Lung cancer is the major carcinoma associated with tobacco smoke, but other cancers such as cancers of the nasal cavity, cervix, and bladder can be caused by cigarette smoke as well. In the United States, over 3000 non-smokers die of lung cancer annually. All of those deaths are attributed to exposure to ETS. Heart disease remains the number one killer of Americans each and every year. Tobacco smoke is a common culprit. It is estimated that 35,000 to 62,000 people die of heart disease every year that can be attributed to ETS. In addition, ETS has been shown to speed up the development of atherosclerosis - a narrowing of the artery walls due to a buildup of plaque. Finally, long term exposure to secondhand smoke doubles the risk of heart attack. ETS also poses very real risks to children. Increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in infants, asthma in children and chronic respiratory diseases can all be attributed to exposure to secondhand smoke. Smoking is bad for you. It is also bad for all of the people around you. You may be willing to risk your own health, but, as the City of Santa Monica has decided, you should not be allowed to risk the health of others.To Quit Smoking Forever go to: Stop Smoking Los Angeles310-598-5175 Sources: http://quitsmoking.about.com/cs/secondhandsmoke/a/secondhandsmoke.htm http://laist.com/2010/09/09/santa_monicas_residential_smoking_b.php http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2010/09/santa_monica_outlaws_smoking_n.php http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/215905/antismoking_laws_in_southern_california.html?cat=5 ...read more
By Stop Smoking Los Angeles February 07, 2011