Radnor Smoke Free Dining

[johnfisher]

I hope we can attain smoke free restaurants and bars. As the liaison to the Radnor Board of Health, I know they are doing some good things in this regard to promote smoke free dining. Unfortunately, thanks to an incredible tobacco lobby, first class cities in PA are the only ones permitted to enact laws prohibiting smoking in public places. Philadelphia is a first class city, Radnor is not.

There is a PA house bill (HB1541) sponsored by Gerber from Montgomery county that passed the PA Senate back in July but the PA House is has not passed a state wide ban. I hear the Casino lobby is fighting it because it prohibits smoking in the workplace (i.e. bar/casino workers). It is so frustrating that there are so many smoking lobby websites that are cheering the defeat of this legislation.

Here is some Board of Health info on the voluntary smoke-free Dining Club:

Providing 100% smoke-free dining in every food establishment in Radnor Township is a goal of the Health Officer. To that end the "Voluntary Smoke-Free Dining Club" was established. The only requirement is for the food establishment(s) to provide a totally smoke-free facility. A certificate of recognition approved by the Radnor Township Board of Commissioners to be proudly displayed in the facility will be awarded to those establishment(s) that have taken the pledge, committing to provide a smoke-free facility. Currently, 92 % of the food facility's in Radnor Township do not permit smoking in their establishments, although not all have officially taken the pledge.

The best way to get Radnor smoke free is by patronizing the restaurants that are voluntarily smoke free, praise management for their decision and complain to the rest that don’t. Maybe we can form a small coalition of residents that support the smoke free establishments?