Arizona / West

Rep. Lopez seeks to ban smoking in workplaces

PHOENIX - A Tucson lawmaker wants to make Arizona workplaces smoke-free. But first she will need to get lawmakers to roll over on the wishes of bar and restaurant owners. Rep. Linda Lopez, D-Tucson, is proposing an outright ban of smoking in workplaces and businesses open to the public. She said employees should not be subjected to second-hand smoke. Her main targets, though, are the places where people eat and drink. She said businesses actually should welcome the idea. Lopez pointed out that communities are busy adopting their own regulations. Some, like Tempe, have very strict anti-smoking ordinances. Tucson's ordinance prohibits restaurants from allowing patrons to smoke except in specially designated areas, and requires restaurants to keep smoky air from circulating into non-smoking areas. And some communities have no such laws. "What that does to business is create an uneven playing field for them," Lopez said. Statewide legislation would provide a uniform standard, she said. The proposal got a boost Wednesday when the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association and the American Lung Association endorsed her legislation. But a publicist for the three groups said that came only after Lopez agreed that her legislation would serve only as a "floor" - meaning cities and counties still could adopt even stricter laws. Lopez said her proposal would create a healthy work environment for employees. Don Isaacson, who lobbies for the Arizona Retail Beverage Association, said there are plenty of establishments now that offer smoke-free drinking and dining, meaning plenty of places for those who want to work in the hospitality industry but not where people smoke.