(a) Council finds that tobacco smoke is a major contributor to indoor air pollution and that smoking in enclosed areas is detrimental to the health, welfare, comfort and environment of nonsmokers; that exposure to secondhand smoke is acutely harmful to nonsmokers with cardiovascular or respiratory disease; that the United States Surgeon General has determined that involuntary smoking is a cause of disease, including lung cancer, in healthy nonsmokers; that smoking in certain enclosed areas is a public nuisance and a cause of material annoyance, discomfort and physical irritation to nonsmokers; that nonsmokers who suffer ill effects of breathing secondhand smoke may experience a loss of job productivity and may be prevented from using commercial establishments and other public places; that smoking is a major cause of fires, as well as burns and ash stains on merchandise and fixtures that cause losses to businesses in the City; that courtesy and voluntary smoking restrictions are not sufficient in all cases to adequately resolve concerns relating to secondhand smoke; and that nonsmokers presently have no adequate means to protect themselves from the damage inflicted upon them when they involuntarily inhale smoke emitted from cigarettes, cigars, pipes and other smoking materials.
(b) Council intends that the restrictions and limitations of this chapter be viewed as minimum standards and should not be construed as limiting in any way the authority of persons in charge of public places or places of employment from entirely prohibiting smoking within their establishments or any part thereof. It is not the intent of Council to prohibit smoking or the sale of tobacco products, but rather to affirm the right of nonsmokers to breathe clean air.
(Ord. 93-176. Passed 12-20-93.)