[6/26] CIGARETTE-BACKED RESTAURANT BILL KILLED IN NY

Recently ASH posted an item about a bill pending in the New York legislature which would have prevented communities from effectively protecting nonsmokers in restaurants.

At the time, it looked like the bill -- which admittedly was written by tobacco lobbyists -- would pass.

ASH suggested that readers let their legislators know have they feel about this issue.

Yesterday [6/25] State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said that he was killing the bill.

Silver, a Democrat from Manhattan, said last week that the Assembly might approve the legislation.

But now he says he opposes any effort by the state government to bar localities from setting strict limits on smoking.

"They should not be precluded from acting," Silver said.

If the New York Assembly had passed the bill, the Republican-controlled State Senate would probably have done the same. Gov. George Pataki has not said whether he supports the legislation.

The bill would have prevented localities which do not now have tough ordinances prohibiting smoking in restaurants from ever enacting such rules.

Also, in a little-noticed provision, it said that if a judge overturned the tough regulations already passed by the New York City and three of its neighboring counties, they would have to adopt the less stringent statewide rules and would be prohibited from ever passing other such measures.

But beware, the tobacco industry isn't giving up yet!

ASH - ACTION ON SMOKING AND HEALTH 2013 H Street, NW / Washington, DC 20006 / (202) 659-4310