Michigan Smoking Ban Begins May 1, 2010
On December 18, 2009, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm signed legislation that bans smoking in public areas. The ban protects employees in the workplace, customers of a business, and citizens in general from secondhand smoke. It will be in effect in places serving food and beverages such as restaurants, bars, and hotels. The gambling areas of the three Detroit casinos will be exempt. Other exempt businesses include:
- Cigar bars
- Tobacco specialty shops
- Home offices
- Commercial trucks and motor vehicles
- American-Indian casinos
To read more about the law, go to the Officer of the Governor website and read the press release dated December 18, 2009, or read the specific wording of House Bill 4377 (2009) on the Michigan Legislature website.
For more information on a national viewpoint
CDC (Centers for Disease Control) CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health is a federal agency that works toward the reduction of tobacco-related death and disease. Links on this informational website lead to basic information, smoking cessation information, trends and statistical charts, youth tobacco prevention and other tobacco control programs, and frequently asked questions. Be sure to check this website out for thorough coverage on all tobacco-related information.
ANR—Americans for Non-Smokers rights
ANR has been in existence since 1976. According to their website, the ANR is “the leading national lobbying organization…dedicated to nonsmokers’ rights, taking on the tobacco industry at all levels of government, protecting nonsmokers from exposure to secondhand smoke, and preventing tobacco addiction among youth.” The group supports policies that will produce clean, indoor air, and the website provides a great deal of information about secondhand smoke, legal issues, and geographical maps and tables showing all 38 smoke-free states as well as individual cities with 100% smoke-free laws.
Smoking cessation sites
Quitnet An interactive smoking cessation website that will motivate tobacco users to quit. Free membership allows one to plot how much money and years of life can be saved by quitting now. Sponsored by Healthways, the website offers a community of support from those also trying to quit smoking as well as from those who have successfully quit.
American Legacy Foundation An organization that works to educate citizens about what smoking does to health, focusing on populations that are vulnerable such as youth, low-income, minorities, and the less-educated.
Healthfinder Put out by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this smoking cessation webpage links to information and other sites that deal with smoking cessation.
A Quit Smoking Guide sponsored by Wholesalecentral.com features a list of links leading to reputable websites such as the CDC, Mayo Clinic, American Lung Association, National Cancer Institute, and several educational institutions. These websites offer advice to help smokers quit, medical facts such as how the body changes once smoking ceases, and tips to control weight gain.
Available through the Monroe County Library System
The easy way to stop smoking
By Allen Carr
Presents the Easyway method for quitting smoking, based on a factual understanding of the harm of cigarette addiction and practical advice on how to successfully break the habit.
The health consequences of involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke: A report of the Surgeon General
By United States Public Health Service
This government document is also available via Internet from the Office of the Surgeon General web site. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/secondhandsmoke/report/executivesummary.pdf
Kicking butts: Quit smoking and take charge of your health
By The American Cancer Society
Learn to kick the smoking habit.
Smoke-free in 30 days: the pain-free permanent way to quit
By Daniel F. Seidman
"In a comprehensive, 30-day program, Dr. Seidman explains how to retrain your brain, take advantage of all the tools at your disposal, and end the month smoke-free and feeling stronger than ever!"--from cover.
Smoking 101: An overview for teens
By Margaret O. Hyde
Provides basic information about smoking and other tobacco use, including the addictive nature of nicotine, the effects of tobacco on the body of the user and others, the influence of advertising, and suggestions for quitting.
Tobacco: The story of how tobacco seduced the world
By Iain Gately
A cultural history of how an exotic plant seduced civilization.
