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October 21. 2012 11:21PM
Ban on smoking in Manchester city cars stalls in subcommittee
MANCHESTER — A subcommittee of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen considered and refused to advance a proposal calling for a ban on smoking in city-owned vehicles after the city's health director called for the ban.
Last week, Health Director Jim Soucy asked for the ban, but the Committee on Administration and Information Technology deadlocked 2-2 on bringing the matter forward.
“We have a policy prohibiting it,” said state Department of Transportation spokesman Bill Boynton.
The state smoking policy, most recently revised in 2005, is clear that one cannot light up while driving or riding in a Department of Transportation vehicle.
“Smoking is not allowed in all NH DOT vehicles,” the policy states. “The driver shall not smoke or allow smoking.”
Soucy said his department combed its records and could not find any policy that says city-owned vehicles are off-limits to smokers.
The proposal from the health department was for a policy, rather than a new city ordinance.
“Everyone recognizes that exposure to tobacco smoke is dangerous, smoking is an addiction and if it was easy to quit then everyone would quit,” Soucy said. “We have an interest in protecting our employees' health and since we are self-insured, we have a fiduciary duty to reduce health care costs.”
Opponents of the ban were concerned about costs as well, including the cost to the city of employees taking a few minutes out for the occasional cigarette break
Soucy said the city is also concerned about the impact of second-hand smoke on passengers in municipal vehicles, and notes that doctors are warning of a potential impact from something they call “third-hand smoke”
“Doctors at Dana-Farber (Cancer Institute) have demonstrated that first-hand smoke is when the smoker inhales, second-hand smoke is when someone else breathes the smoke,” Soucy said. “Third-hand smoke is when nicotine and other components adhere to clothing and carpeting, coating surfaces and exposure can occur that way.”
Soucy said researchers are still studying the potential impact of third-hand smoke.
bsmith@unionleader.com
Last week, Health Director Jim Soucy asked for the ban, but the Committee on Administration and Information Technology deadlocked 2-2 on bringing the matter forward.
“We have a policy prohibiting it,” said state Department of Transportation spokesman Bill Boynton.
The state smoking policy, most recently revised in 2005, is clear that one cannot light up while driving or riding in a Department of Transportation vehicle.
“Smoking is not allowed in all NH DOT vehicles,” the policy states. “The driver shall not smoke or allow smoking.”
Soucy said his department combed its records and could not find any policy that says city-owned vehicles are off-limits to smokers.
The proposal from the health department was for a policy, rather than a new city ordinance.
“Everyone recognizes that exposure to tobacco smoke is dangerous, smoking is an addiction and if it was easy to quit then everyone would quit,” Soucy said. “We have an interest in protecting our employees' health and since we are self-insured, we have a fiduciary duty to reduce health care costs.”
Opponents of the ban were concerned about costs as well, including the cost to the city of employees taking a few minutes out for the occasional cigarette break
Soucy said the city is also concerned about the impact of second-hand smoke on passengers in municipal vehicles, and notes that doctors are warning of a potential impact from something they call “third-hand smoke”
“Doctors at Dana-Farber (Cancer Institute) have demonstrated that first-hand smoke is when the smoker inhales, second-hand smoke is when someone else breathes the smoke,” Soucy said. “Third-hand smoke is when nicotine and other components adhere to clothing and carpeting, coating surfaces and exposure can occur that way.”
Soucy said researchers are still studying the potential impact of third-hand smoke.
bsmith@unionleader.com
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