The King County Board of Health voted unanimously today to increase enforcement of smoking in public places and placed regulations passed by voters into local law.

In November of 2005, state voters overwhelmingly approved citizen’s Initiative 901, which banned smoking in public places statewide, including bars, restaurants and clubs. Because it has been two years since the initiative passed, the legislature could, in the upcoming session, make amendments to the current law or weaken it by providing exemptions for businesses.

The regulation adopted by the Board of Health accomplishes two goals. It allows King County to implement greater tobacco enforcement regulations by making repeated violations subject to both civil penalties and involvement by the Prosecuting Attorney’s office. It also places the statewide law and its enforcement into the Code of the King County Board of Health, meaning it will protect and maintain the tobacco regulations implemented after passage of Initiative 901, even if changes are made at a state level.

“The voters of King County and the State of Washington took a major step to improving health by voting to ban smoking in public places,” said Metropolitan King County Councilmember and Board of Health Chair Julia Patterson. “Our Board of Health action will uphold and enforce the law at a local level, even if it is weakened by the state.”

Smoking is the number one preventable cause of death, while passive, or second-hand smoke is the third leading preventable cause of death. Exposure to second-hand smoke is known to cause cancer in humans and is a known cause of other diseases including pneumonia, asthma, bronchitis, and heart disease. After the passage of Initiative 901, the amount of air pollution created by second-hand smoke was reduced by over 90 percent.

In King County:

• Recent survey data show that an overwhelming 86.7 percent of adults in King County do NOT smoke cigarettes.
• Nearly 83.3 percent of 12th grade students reported that they do not smoke cigarettes.
• Although 95.4 percent of pregnant women in King County do NOT smoke during pregnancy, 1330 infants are born each year to mothers who do smoke during pregnancy.
• Over 70 percent of King County hospitality workers would rather work in a smoke free environment.
• Nearly 75 percent of smokers say they would like to or plan to quit.
• Over 75 percent of King County voters prefer smoke free dining and drinking.