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Posted on 07/08/2002 7:33:23 AM PDT by SheLion

General Motors' Adoption of Smoke-Free Policy in All Ingham County Plants Hailed by Smoke-Free Environments Law Project of The Center for Social Gerontology.

The Center for Social Gerontology (TCSG), based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and its Smoke-Free Environments Law Project hailed the actions of the General Motors Corporation in adopting a total ban on smoking in all its Ingham County, Michigan plants and facilities, effective August 5, 2002.

Jim Bergman, TCSG Co-Director and head of the Smoke-Free Environments Law Project said: "General Motors management is to be highly praised for announcing the adoption of a totally smoke-free policy in all their Ingham County auto plants. Having worked very closely with the Ingham County Commissioners and Health Department on the adoption of a county-wide smoke-free worksite regulation, which was enacted on February 12, 2002, we at the Smoke-Free Environments Law Project are aware that General Motors could have sought permission to create designated smoking areas in their plants. Instead, they have opted to 'adopt a wall-to-wall no smoking policy' which applies to 'all employees, contractors and visitors,' effective August 5, 2002.

This is a tremendous victory for workers - old and young - whose health was threatened by secondhand smoke in General Motors facilities, a number of whom sought help from our Smoke-Free Environments Law Project in recent years. We also commend the Ingham County Health Department for their work with General Motors on this policy."

"The adoption by General Motors of a total ban on smoking in its Ingham County facilities is huge - for GM workers and in its implications for all businesses. This action by General Motors shows that corporations of any size can adapt to smoke-free policies and that union members - most of whom are not smokers - will accept such policies for their own health and the health of their co-workers. We hope and expect that other corporations will follow the lead of GM in adopting smoke-free policies," stated Bergman.

To access a copy of the General Motors smoke-free policy online, go to http://www.tcsg.org/sfelp/images/GM.jpg To access a copy of the Ingham County smoke-free regulation, go to http://www.ingham.org/BC/adoptedsmokingregulation.PDF

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The Center for Social Gerontology (TCSG), was founded in 1972 as a nonprofit, research, training and social policy organization, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Smoke-Free Environments Law Project (SFELP) is a statewide project of TCSG which provides information, consultation and advice for businesses, local units of government, and individuals in Michigan on policies and practices to protect employees and the general public from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke and to address the legal requirements and liability issues related to secondhand smoke.

For comprehensive information on this topic, go to the web site of the Smoke-Free Environments Law Project at http://www.tcsg.org/sfelp/home.htm.

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