The Butte County Public Health Department - Tobacco Education Program identifies progress with a Smoke-Free Outdoor Dining campaign. In an effort to further reduce Butte county residents from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke, the Tobacco Education Program are visiting restaurants and coffee shop establishments in the Chico and Oroville areas that offer outdoor dining. The campaign’s focus is to work with local restaurant and coffee shop operators, providing education on the dangers of secondhand smoke along with data that supports reasons to adopt a voluntary smoke-free outdoor dining policy.
According to the 2008 Butte County Tobacco Phone Survey conducted in October, sixty-one percent said they would favor such a policy when asked, “would you favor or oppose restaurants and coffee shops with patios or other outdoor areas where smoking is permitted to adopt a policy that designates these outdoor dining areas as smoke-free?” in comparison to thirty-nine percent that opposed it. Change is inevitable, with the recent 62 cent tobacco tax increase raising the cost of cigarette packs to $6.55, along with the economic hardships of the community; tobacco prevention advocates encourage this as an opportunity to quit smoking.
A recent interview with Christian, owner of two Chico establishments, California Pasta Productions (voluntary smoke-free outdoor dining) and Christian Michaels (indoor seating only), “The majority of people don’t enjoy smoke while dining. People who smoke are the minority. One person would be disrupting twenty people.” This has been found to be the consensus among the other restaurant and coffee shop owners that have implemented a voluntary outdoor dining policy.
The Public Health Tobacco Education Program still has much work to do. Despite evidence that supports the community favoring smoke-free outdoor dining, there are still some local owners/managers that offer outdoor seating in their establishments that are uncertain or reluctant in adoption of a voluntary smoke-free outdoor dining policy. The Tobacco Education Program staff encourage smoke free dining by all restaurants owners and managers. Congratulations to the increasing number of eating www.buttecounty.net/publichealth
