Gov. Tim Kaine stopped in Charlottesville during a Commonwealth tour to celebrate the restaurant smoking ban that came into effect at midnight.
“This is a step forward for Virginia,” he told reporters outside Hamiltons’ at First and Main.
The restaurant, opened in 1996 by Bill and Kate Hamilton, both UVA graduates, was one of the first non-smoking establishments in the city, and Kaine said he wanted to “honor some of the real pioneers” who helped make today’s action possible.
The new law will offer protection against secondhand smoke, responsible for 1,040 adult deaths per year in Virginia.
The ban is significant because Virginia has been the home of the tobacco industry for more than three centuries. The ban was a bipartisan effort passed by the General Assembly.
According to Marilyn Tavenner, Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources, data reveal that three prominent smoking-related issues needed to be tackled: infant mortality, obesity and smoking exposure.
To those who question whether the ban will impact businesses negatively, Kaine quoted studies that reported that overall restaurant costs are lower if they are smoke free, because of lower insurance premiums, lower absenteeism and higher productivity of workers.
Interestingly, according to Office of the Governor, the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids estimates that Virginia spends about $105.3 million a year in health care due to secondhand smoke.
More after the photo.
Gov. Tim Kaine kicked off the Commonwealth tour in celebration of the restaurant smoking ban that went into effect today.
(Photo by Ashley Twiggs)
The ban, Kaine said, “is going to save lives,” and is going to improve the health of the thousands of restaurant workers.
Today, Virginia joined 27 other states and the District of Columbia that already outlaw smoking in restaurants.
