“Smoke em if you got em” in Connecticut…wait, what?

In any legislative session in Connecticut, there are typically several thousand bills introduced by legislators on a wide range of issues that impact our quality of life. Most of these bills are never forwarded to a vote before the full legislative assembly (House or Senate).

Every so often, a piece of legislation appears on an issue that one assumed was already settled Connecticut law. Back in 2003, the Legislature passed statutes that prohibited smoking in most public places and workplaces as an integral part of the state’s Clean Indoor Air Act. With the exception of private clubs, the two casinos, and the one business in New Haven previously designated as a tobacco bar, smoking was basically prohibited in any business that held a liquor permit.

On January 31s, a public hearing of the General Law committee was held in Hartford to allow the public to provide testimony on a range of consumer issues introduced by House and Senate members.

One such bill was designated as Raised Bill No. 905 “An Act Concerning Alcoholic Liquor and Tobacco Bars”, introduced by State Representative Dave Michel (D-Stamford) and Travis Simms (D-Norwalk). Tucked into this 45-page bill were two sections that if enacted, would expand the exemptions to the state’s clean indoor air laws by allowing new tobacco bars and the expansion or relocation of existing tobacco bar(s).

Written testimony in support of these two sections was offered by about a half dozen cigar shops throughout the state, including Stamford and Hartford. The most common reasons in support were business growth, customer satisfaction, increased tax revenue to state and local coffers, and increased in-person sales of cigars and tobacco products rather than internet sales from out-of-state businesses. Proponents’ positions were presented as pro-small business initiatives.

Well, as might be expected, the medical and public health community came out “smokin” (pun intended). The American Lung Association stated that it was disappointed with this legislation, noting that “creating more places where smoking is allowed is incomprehensible when we have made so much recent progress in tobacco control policy.” Pointedly, it suggested that “most other places in the country are making clean indoor air laws stronger, not weaker”.

Not to be outdone, the American Heart Association noted that there are more than 7,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke, and “hundreds of these chemicals are toxic and about 70 are known to cause cancer in humans and animals, and at least 250 in secondhand smoke have been shown to damage health.” Even our own state Public Health Commissioner, Manisha Juthani, MD provided testimony in opposition to the establishment of new tobacco bars and the expansion of existing tobacco bar(s).

So, what happens next? The General Law Committee will decide in the very near future whether this bill should be reported of of committee for consideration by the entire legislative body. I’ll keep you informed as this bill progresses through the legislative process.