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Changes proposed for possible indoor smoking ban in PTC

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@thecitizennews.com

Several changes have been made to the proposed ordinance to ban indoor smoking in Peachtree City.

The ordinance will be discussed in a public meeting Monday at the downstairs meeting room of the city’s library at 6 p.m.

One of the new changes requires all commercial establishments to employ ventilation systems with positive pressure. Such systems force air out of the building so smoke from the outside can’t waft back in, according to Mayor Steve Brown.

Other changes exclude home offices from the smoking restrictions and allow cigarettes and other associated items to be sold by stores.

Also added to the ordinance are citations from the Centers for Disease Control about the negative affects of secondhand smoke on non-smokers.

A CDC study estimates that 3,000 lung cancer deaths and 35,000 coronary heart disease deaths occur each year among adult nonsmokers due to secondhand smoke exposure. The CDC also notes that 50 chemicals found in secondhand smoke are cancer-causing agents, commonly known as carcinogens.

Also cited is a study from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency which estimates that secondhand smoke is associated with between 8,000 and 26,000 new asthma cases in children each year. The same study indicates that between 150,000 and 300,000 new cases of bronchitis and pneumonia in children 18 months old and younger are associated with secondhand smoke exposure in the U.S. on an annual basis.

Brown said Tuesday he is awaiting input from area bar owners who have complained that banning smoking in their establishments would hurt their business.

The ban, as proposed, would not cover personal residences but would be applied to all enclosed areas in restaurants and the public areas of other businesses in the city.

The ban would also be enforced at enclosed areas at convention facilities, service lines, shopping malls, sports arenas, polling places and “facilities primarily used for exhibiting a motion picture, stage, drama, lecture, musical recital or other similar performance.”

Another change to the ordinance leaves enforcement of the ban up to the city’s code enforcement and police departments. The city fire marshal, or a designee, will also inspect for compliance with the ordinance during routine mandated inspections.