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Grand Island Smokefree Ordinance went into effect

June 1, 2008!!!

Secondhand smoke is a mixture of the smoke given off by the burning end of a cigarette, pipe or cigar and the smoke exhaled from the lungs of a smoker.  It is involuntarily inhaled by nonsmokers, lingers in the air hours after cigarettes have been extinguished and can cause or exacerbate a wide range of adverse health effects, including cancer, respiratory infections and asthma.

 

American Lung Association

http://www.lungsusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK90oE&b=35422

Effective June 1, 2008 the Grand Island Smoking Regulation Act requires that indoor public places and all places of employment become smoke free.

39.3 DEFINATIONS

 

PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT

Defination:  Place of employment means an indoor area under control of a proprietor that an employee accesses as part of his or her employment without regard to whether the employee is present or work is occuring at any given time.  The indoor area includes, but is not limited to:

  • Work Area
  • Employee break room
  • Restroom
  • Confrence Room
  • Meeting Room
  • Classroom
  • Employee cafeteria
  • Hallway

A private residence is a place of employment when such residence is being used as a licensed child care program and one or more children who are not occupants of such residents are present.

 

The purpose of the Smoking Regulation Act:  The City Council does hereby declare it to ve the public police of this City to encourage places of employment and public places to reduce the health and safety risks posed by smoking in places of employment and public places.

 

PUBLIC PLACE:

Defination:  Public place shall mean an indoor area to which the public is invited or in which the public is permitted, whether or not the public is always invited or permitted.

 

39.5 EXCEPTIONS

(1)  Guestrooms or suites, provided the following requirements are met:

  • The number of rooms or suites designated for smoking shall be no greater than 20% of the total number of guestrooms or suites.
  • Each guestroom or suite where smoking is allowed shall have a permanent sign posted containing the words "smoking allowed" on each entrance.

(2)  As part of a study conducting research into the health effects of smoking in a scientific or analytical laboratory either governed by state or federal law or at a college or university approved by the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Post Secondary Education.

 

 

 

 

 

Tips for Going Smokefree

 

If you are a business owner, inform you employees about the new ordinance.  Some effective ways to communicate with your employees are:

  • Discuss the ordinance at a staff meeting or distribute a memo to staff explaining the changes and how they will affect the work environment.
  • If you choose to designate an outdoor employee smoking area on business property, consider a location low in foot traffic and provide an outdoor ash can to collect smoking litter.
  • Add a "No Smoking" policy to your employee manul or policies.
  • Explain that the ordinance does not prohibit smoking, but it protects the health of employees and customers.
  • Distribute information about the ordinance and the dangers of secondhand smoke as a paycheck insert.
  • Provide assistance to your employees who wish to quit smoking.
  • visit the Central District Health Department website at www.cdhc.ne.gov and click on the Grand Island Smoking Regulation Act to obtain additional educational tools and information.

 

 

 

 

39.5 VIOLATION AND PENALTIES

 

(a)  A person who smokes in a place of employment or a public place in violation of this section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a minimum fine of:

  1.  One hundred dollars ($100) and costs for the first offense;
  2. Two hundred dollars ($200) and costs for the second offense;
  3. Five hundred dollars ($500) and costs for the third and subsequent offenses.

(b) A proprietor of a place of employment or public place upon whom a duty is placed by the provisions of this section, who shall fail, neglect or refuse to perform such duty, or who shall knowingly violate any of the provisions hereof, shall be  deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a minimum fine of:

  1. One hundred dollars ($100) and costs for the first offense;

  2. Two hundred dollars ($200) and costs for the second offense;
  3. Five hundred dollars ($500) and costs for the third and subsequent offenses.

(c)  Each day that a violation continues to exhist shall constitute a separate and distinct offense and shall be punishable as such.

 

(d)  Every act or omission or whatever nature constituting a violation of any or the provisions of this section by an officer, manager, supervisor, or agent or employee of any proprietor, if said act or omission is made with authorization, knowledge, or approval of any proprietor, shall be deemed and held to be the act or omission of such proprietor, and said proprietor shall be punishable in the same manner as if said act or omission had been committed by such proprietor personally.