The Board of Supervisors has a longstanding interest in the risks to human health of tobacco use, and disease prevention and health promotion are essential components of this health policy. Cigarette smoking is a certifiable health danger to smokers and nonsmokers alike. By smoking cigarettes, or being exposed to secondhand smoke, people inhale various chemicals including, for example, formaldehyde, ammonia, tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide. The Surgeon General of the United States has declared that cigarette smoking causes lung cancer, heart disease, and emphysema, and that smoking by pregnant women may result in fetal injury, premature birth, and low birth weight. The Board of Supervisors desires to prevent disease and promote the health of the people of San Francisco by making it easier for residents and visitors to avoid secondhand smoke in eating establishments. For the most part, this Article simply extends the smoking prohibitions of Article 19 to include eating establishments.
(Added by Ord. 244-87, App. 7/1/87)