We Are Going to be Smokefree!
The Campaign for Smokefree Air (CSA) has been rewarded for its long and hard work by passing the smokefree air law in Michigan. The Senate passed the statewide law yesterday by of vote of 24 to 13. This bill covers all workplaces, bars and restaurants in Michigan, exempting only casino gaming floors, cigar bars and tobacco specialty shops. Michigan becomes the 38th state with such a law in place.
Many of the members of the CSA have been hard at work on this issue for years, many as long as 10 to 13 years. The committee itself has been in place for about five years. Core members included: The American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, the American Cancer Society, Michigan State Medical Society, Michigan Health and Hospital Association and Wiener Associates in Lansing. In addition to these organizations, all of us at John Bailey & Associates are proud of the role we played with getting this bill passed. The other group to recognize the many, many elected officials that worked hard over the years to get the bill passed. However, the one thing that can’t get lost in the celebration is the grassroots advocacy and the will of the people to make this work because they were an integral part of the process.
This group effort proves the adage that “if at first you don’t succeed, you need to keep on trying.”
We congratulate everyone involved in the major efforts and we appreciate their outstanding efforts to clean up our air. We are proud to be part of this outstanding effort.
