By By LISA TINDELL – News reporter
Second-hand stores can be found in almost every city in America, giving way to the idea that second-hand is usually a great bargain. However, in the case of second-hand smoke, nothing could be further from the truth, at least according to a new U.S. surgeon general's report.
A group known as the Coalition for Healthier Escambia County, of which Findley is a member, has been working for a year and a half to get city councils in Escambia County to pass ordinances that call for smoke-free restaurants.
While patrons at restaurants may only be in the area for a short time, employees may be exposed to secondhand smoke for up to 10 hours, depending on their work schedule, Findley said.
So far, Flomaton is the only city that has passed a smoking ban for restaurants.
&#8220We are still waiting for the cities of Brewton and Atmore to step up and pass an ordinance that would help keep the rest of Escambia Countians from getting sick,” Findley said.
According to a report released this week by U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona, secondhand smoke and its dangers has brought back the focus on what is a very huge problem in the society. The report has called for a complete ban on smoking in public places as there is &#8220massive, incontrovertible evidence that secondhand smoke causes lung cancer, heart disease and other illnesses in adults.”
In the case of restaurants, some establishments have independently made the decision to ban smoking inside the establishment. Some, however, still offer smoking and non-smoking sections.
According to Findley, Alabama is third in the nation for having the most cities enact an ordinance requiring that smoking not be permitted indoors.