Department of Human Services Announces Smoke-Free Restaurant Bill

Contact:   Dora A. Mills, MD, Director
                    DHS Bureau of Health
                    Tel. (207) 287-3270

                    David S. Winslow, Director
                    DHS Office of Public and Legislative Affairs
                    Tel. (207) 287-2546

AUGUSTA: "The Department of Human Services is proud to announce that we have submitted to the state Legislature a statewide, smoke-free restaurant bill with broad, bi-partisan support," announced DHS Commissioner Kevin W. Concannon today. "Our goal with the bill is to protect workers in Maine restaurants as well as Maine children and adults rom the toxic hazards of secondhand smoke."

"Secondhand smoke kills, on average, one Maine person per day," explained Bureau of Health Director Dora Mills, MD. "A major exposure in the workplace to this toxic chemical continues to be restaurants, and we know that as a result of exposure, restaurant workers are much more likely to suffer from lung cancer, heart disease, and respiratory diseases."

"Restaurants are a common public place where children are exposed as well. Their developing lungs are much more susceptible to the toxic effects of secondhand smoke, and exposure to it causes sudden infant death syndrome, low birth weight, childhood asthma, pneumonia and ear infections," added Dr. Mills. "For this reason, our bill focuses on ensuring a smoke-free environment in restaurants that allow children."

"Since Portland’s restaurants have become smoke-free and a number of other communities are considering it, the timing of a statewide initiative seems right," commented Commissioner Concannon. "We are proud to have bi-partisan and independent support for the bill from legislators from every corner of the state."

The bill is sponsored by Rep. David Etnier (D, Harpswell)
Chief co-sponsor is Senate Majority Leader Chellie Pingree (D, Knox)
Co-Sponsors include:

In addition to the legislative sponsors of the bill, the Maine Coalition for Smoking or Health, led by Dr. Stephen Sears of Augusta, has made a smoke-free restaurant bill a priority for this legislative session.

Chief co-sponsor for the smoking bans is Senate Majority Leader Chellie Pingree (D, Knox)

Keep in mind this is the SAME Chillie Pingree that is running against Susan Collins in the Senate. This woman is evil. Some say she is running out of funds, so I guess that is why Hitlery is coming to Portland on the 13th, (this Friday) to do a fund raiser for her.

"As a warm up to the Billion Dollar March, all Freepers might want to consider a "FREEP" of Hillary Rodham Clinton when she comes to Portland on September 13th."

You get 'em, SheLion! Good links.

I'm not kidding about burning oils either. I don't know what the scientific data is but I know that burning fats, vegetable or animal, are bad bad bad. If you've ever filled the kitchen with smoke from it you probably noticed how sick your lungs felt for some time after. Possibly with a headache, nausea and fuzzy thinking. I don't care if it's 50 below zero, open all the doors and windows and get out of it until it's cleared out. Go to a smoky bar. Hah!

Restaraunt workers get sick. For crying out loud! Restaraunt work is fast paced and high stress and a large percentage of them (relative to the general population) drink like fish and do coke like Hollywood liberals. But those factors don't mean anything, nooooooooooo, it's the second hand smoke! Who works their whole life in a restaraunt anyway? I want to see the study that followed lifetime restaraunt workers.

Dora must do it for the money cause she isn't doing it for anyones health.

Restaurant workers get sick. For crying out loud! Restaurant work is fast paced and high stress and a large percentage of them (relative to the general population) drink like fish and do coke like Hollywood liberals. But those factors don't mean anything, nooooooooooo, it's the second hand smoke! Who works their whole life in a restaurant anyway? I want to see the study that followed lifetime restaurant workers.

Before I was married, I worked in smoked filled bars which didn't at that time, have the big smoke eaters they have today. Everyone smoked, and the owner would "prop the door open" if it got too hot or to smoky. There would be patrons there that did not smoke, but they never complained about the smoke, and always returned. So it couldn't have bothered them TOO much!

I also went to restaurants with an ashtray on every table. No smoke eaters. No one complained. Those were the days. Then, along came the anti smokers and the EPA. However, the 1993 EPA's report on second hand smoke was thrown out in a Federal Court after studying their report for 5 years. The ORNL Institute, a Government Institute at that, also did an extension study on ETS. They, too, could not prove that second hand smoked caused any illness let alone DEATHS.

Dora must do it for the money cause she isn't doing it for anyone's health.

Dora and the Human Services are feeding at that big honey pot from the Tobacco Settlement money that the smokers are paying into 100% through their cigarette taxes. That money was supposed to be spent on health care for sick smokers on welfare and for cessation classes.

But I believe this money went to their heads and they went overboard using this money against us with their control, bans and urging the Maine Government to raise the taxes through the roof.

This money turned them into gluttons. They went into privately owned restaurants throughout Maine and made them non-smoking. Even the Maine hospitals, in order to receive big grants, are banning smoking on their grounds! They have chopped 1 out of 4 of their patients/visitors heads in order to receive money for big MRI machines and renovations. The grants are blood money.

Since obesity has far outpaced smoking for health care, will the hospitals in Maine ban the fat people too? I doubt it. There will be no funding for THAT! I have written to Human Services, I have written to MaryBeth T. Welton of the Partnership for a Tobacco Free Maine, and I have written to the hospitals. MaryBeth sends me back a one liner "That I have misinterpreted my information." Yes, right! I wrote her back asking what part have I misinterpreted? I have not heard from her. The hospitals and Human Services refuse to answer my letters. What does that tell you? They know I am right!

I don't know where this will end, but I have some lawmakers working on the PTFM, and if Governor King really wants to down size his budget, he certainly should start with THEM!

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.