On 5/29/2016 6:19 AM, Vic Smith wrote:
On Sun, 29 May 2016 03:23:22 -0400, wrote:
Explain why there can't be a "smoker bar" or restaurant. If you are
offended or fear for your life, don't go near the place.
Employees.
"There is mounting evidence that documents the dangers of exposure to
secondhand smoke, including in the workplace. In states that permit
workplace smoking, employers face significant legal risks from employees
who are exposed to secondhand smoke on the job. Employers have been held
liable for employee exposure to secondhand smoke in numerous cases,
including those based on workers’ compensation, state and federal
disability law, and the duty to provide a safe workplace. Given this
liability risk, employers should voluntarily adopt smoke-free workplace
policies. Such policies do more than fulfill an employer’s legal
obligation to provide a safe workplace; they also reduce the risk of
litigation, potentially reduce workers’ compensation premiums, and
protect employees from harm.
THERE IS MOUNTING evidence of the dangers of exposure to secondhand
smoke. Several recent studies have shown that employees’ exposure to
secondhand smoke in the workplace causes significant increases in
tobacco-specific carcinogens in the human body (M. Stark, PhD,
unpublished data, April 2006).1–6 Smoking in bars, restaurants, and
other hospitality venues contributes substantially to poor indoor air
quality in these workplaces and exposes employees to carcinogens and
other toxic agents in tobacco smoke.7 Specifically, nonsmokers who are
exposed to secondhand smoke at work increase their risk of heart disease
by 25%–30% and their risk of lung cancer by 20%–30%, and are susceptible
to immediate damage to the cardiovascular system.8 The only way to
effectively eliminate secondhand smoke exposure in the workplace is to
make the workplace a smoke-free environment.9 Studies have shown
immediate improvements in air quality10,11 and workers’ respiratory
health12 when smoking is eliminated from workplaces, including
hospitality venues.
To protect employees and patrons from the dangers of exposure to
secondhand smoke, many state and local governments have passed laws
creating smoke-free workplaces, including restaurants and bars.13 In
states without smoke-free workplace laws, employers still face
significant legal risks from employees who are exposed to secondhand
smoke on the job. Employers can reduce these legal risks by voluntarily
prohibiting smoking at their worksites.
SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE AND SMOKE-FREE LAWS
Research conducted during the past several decades clearly documents
that exposure to secondhand smoke causes death and disease in
nonsmokers. Some research indicates that secondhand smoke is more toxic
and potentially more dangerous than the smoke that is directly inhaled
by the smoker.14,15 Nationally, the US Environmental Protection Agency
has found secondhand smoke to be a risk to public health and has
classified secondhand smoke as a group A carcinogen, the most dangerous
class of carcinogen."
mo
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1931463/
--
Maggie