It is the last marking period of the year. Therefore, most government classes at Hermitage High School participate of a Mock Congress activity so the students can (sort of) practice what they’ve been learning all year long. I’m the senator for the State of Colorado, and my committee’s bill proposes a ban on public smoking. Well… I have no idea why, but I felt that I should post the speech I gave in support of my bill here (actually, it does not matter, since nobody reads this blog anyway). Hope you enjoy (if possible. lol.). (Please, don’t mind the internal documentation).
Madam President, Parliamentarians, and honorable senators; I, Senator Cléderson Perez, for the glorious State of Colorado, am proud to say that since the Colorado Indoor Clean Air Act took effect last year, Colorado is a healthier state. Unfortunately, today only 13 states have passed acts banning the use of tobacco products inside public establishments, and it is the role of the senate to extend the benefits such bans have brought in those states to all residents of the
United States of America (denver.bizjournals.com). I believe that the Senate Bill #S1 will extend those benefits to the rest of our nation. Indeed, a nationwide smoking ban would bring benefits not only to the health of the American people, but also to the economy of our country.Nowadays, more than 15 countries throughout the world have some kind of indoor clean air legislation and many others have been studying the adoption of such laws (news.bbc.co.uk/1/). Just last Monday (04/30/07),
Northern Ireland’s smoking ban went into effect (www1.folha.uol.com.br). However, it is not necessary to go abroad in order to find the results of smoking bans; many states and cities within the United States have already approved smoking bans from which we can analyze the results and verify the benefits they have brought (www.smokefreeworld.com).Since
New York City banned smoking in public places such as bars and restaurants in 2003, studies have shown that bars and restaurants have thrived. On the first year after the ban was approved, employment in the sector rose by 10,600 jobs, and the city collected about $1.4 million more in taxes than in the same period of the previous year. Moreover, New Yorkers reported “less exposure to secondhand smoke in their workplaces since the ban took effect” (query.nytimes.com). Even restaurant owners or managers have praised the ban. Penny Glazier, a steakhouse specialist, made positive remarks about the smoking ban, “At first we were concerned because of the bar that no one would want to go in there and have an after-dinner drink. But it’s a total nonevent now. We never hear conversations about it; we never hear customers complaining about it. Quite honestly, you know, the restaurants are much cleaner,” he said (nymag.com).We certainly can notice the benefits the smoking ban has brought to the residents and workers of
New York City. However, if we want to understand better the economic impact a national ban on smoking in public would have, we should look to the foreign countries that have approved such bans. A very optimistic research from the Royal College of Physicians, United Kingdom, has suggested that a ban on smoking could save the Britain economy up to ₤4 billion ($8 billion) per year in the form of increased employee productivity. “There would be fewer cigarette breaks and sick days, and workers would quite simply live longer, helping to boost productivity over time” (www.weboptimiser.com). Even a not so optimistic report made by Professor Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer for England, affirmed that a ban could save up to ₤2.7 billion ($5.4 billion) a year for the British economy (news.bbc.co.uk/2/). No wonder all countries of the United Kingdom have approved smoking bans; if the United Kingdom could save billions with their smoking ban, undoubtedly the United States, which has a much stronger economy, will be, at least, as much as successful as the United Kingdom.In addition to economic prosperity, researches have shown that the quality of the air inside non-smoking facilities has increased while the number of employees with respiratory problems has decreased. Indeed, a study made in the Irish Republic, the first country to pass a nationwide ban, shows that the number of workers with some kind of respiratory problem has fallen more than 17 percent (www.usatoday.com). Certainly, restaurant and bar employees are one of the groups that suffer the most from secondhand smoking. They aren’t the only ones, though. It is estimated that about 126 million Americans are exposed to secondhand smoking while only 21 percent of the adult population actually smokes (www.cdc.gov). This situation must change.
Senators, there is enough evidence to understand that the actual legislation has failed in protecting the individual rights and the health the nonsmoking-majority of our nation. It is our role, as senators, to grant American citizens the assurance that their health will not be harmed by someone else’s habit. Lung cancer has been killing hundreds of thousands of Americans every year; 3,400 of those cases are caused by secondhand smoking (www.msnbc.com). This fact alone should be enough to make us approve a ban on smoking in public. However, lobbyists for the tobacco companies and critics have convinced some legislators that such ban would hurt our economy. This is not true, as I have showed you here.
Today, we are asked to decide whether there should be a national ban on public smoking. I am honored to represent 4.3 million Americans who live in
Colorado, and I believe that they have already made their decision, since we have a similar ban in state level. I am sure that Coloradans are willing to see their fellow Americans enjoying the same smoke-free air and the same benefits they have been enjoying since last year. I am as supportive of the Senate Bill #S1 as Coloradans are, and I am certain that from the moment this bill takes effect,
America will be a better place to live for us, and for our posterity.Thank you, Madam President.
