Editorial: Pa. Indoor-Smoking Ban

As Pennsylvania health officials prepare for the imminent launch of the statewide indoor-smoking ban, their goal should be the smooth debut of this major public-health initiative.

Indeed, state Department of Health officials are heading up a coalition of agencies to ensure the smoking ban - which begins Sept. 11 - is enforced consistently across the state.

Details of the smoking ban are available online at

» READ MORE: www.health.state.pa.us

. Tool kits are available for businesses that include signs, flyers describing the ban to patrons, and smoking-cessation information.

The state's public-awareness campaign - combined with a likely blitz of media coverage - should ease the transition to the smoke-free rules.

The Clean Indoor Air Act signed into law June 13 by Gov. Rendell bans smoking in restaurants and most workplaces and public areas, with exceptions for shot-and-a-beer taverns, private clubs, and smoking sections in casinos outside Philadelphia.

With good reason, the smoke-free measure has been described as the most important public health legislation out of Harrisburg in decades. It's certain to protect thousands of employees and business patrons from the well-documented hazards of secondhand smoke.

Philadelphians already enjoy this protection under the city's year-plus smoking ban, so it will be something of a non-event in the city when the rest of the state goes smoke-free. If anything, city bars and restaurants merely will lose any competitive advantage they enjoyed over suburban businesses by virtue of being able to attract nonsmoking patrons.

The rest of the state, however, can look to the city's trouble-free implementation of its ban for assurance that clearing the air won't hurt business or impose undo hardship.

To the contrary, city businesses found most employees and patrons welcomed the smoke-free rules. Elsewhere, economic studies have shown no adverse impact from indoor-smoking bans.

While the Atlantic City casinos are fearful of their all-out ban that takes effect in October, the casinos' real concern should be the new gambling competition from casinos here and in other neighboring states.

Sure, look for minor grumbling from some rural tavern owners over the rules that, if violated, carry penalties of $250 and up. One Lancaster-area barkeep, for example, griped recently that smokers might get into tiffs with other patrons if they lose their seats at the bar during an outdoor smoke break. But if frayed feelings are the worst of it, that's progress.

In fact, polls show that Pennsylvanians favor clean-indoor-air rules, 4-1. More than a year ago, the Pennsylvania Medical Society found that more than two-thirds of people surveyed favored dining out where they didn't have to inhale secondhand smoke.

Twenty-four states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have smoking bans. So many visitors expect the same rules here, says Leslie A. Best, who heads up the Health Department's smoke-free efforts.

Far from being a radical move, going smoke-free will put Pennsylvania in the mainstream on safeguarding public health.