To the Editor:
This fall the Philadelphia City Council will be considering a bill directly related to your quality of life: Will bars and restaurants go smoke free? After many years of stalling, the City Council appears poised to finally join other big cities nationwide in protecting the health of residents by assuring cancer-free air. The bill is similar to those passed in recent years in New York, Boston, Dallas and California.
However, the current legislation needs your support. Last Thursday, dozens of medical students from across the city joined forces with the Breathe Free Philly Campaign and appearing at the first City Council meeting to push this legislation to the top of the agenda.
Now we need your help. This week is Restaurant Week and one of the best ways to show support for this legislation is with your wallet. Tomorrow, volunteers and med students will be lining Locust Walk with wallet-sized cards you can leave with your bill when paying out at bars, restaurants and clubs. The cards express support for smoke-free air as paying customers. If hundreds or even thousands of these cards are left at restaurants and bars throughout Center City (and the Art Museum District, and University City), it will help owners realize their customers want smoke-free air.
Over 40,000 Americans die every year because of secondhand smoke. Workers and patrons alike deserve protection from needless exposure to carcinogens and toxins. Three in four city residents support smoke-free air. Penn is a national hub of health and medical expertise; our support for smoke-free air will make an impact.
Arthur Williams and Josh Lantos The authors are first-year medical students and coordinators of the Penn Med Smoke-Free Campaign.
