Two worthwhile bills have been introduced in the Suffolk County legislature concerning tobacco smoke pollution.  One bill would provide a smokefree workplace for all Suffolk County workers.  The other bill would prohibit smoking in cars when children under the age of 13 are present.  SmokeFree Educational Services supports both bills, but recognizes that they are significantly different and will be addressed by the legislature at different times.  Smokefree workplace legislation will be voted on next week (December 5).  Smokefree car legislation has not yet had a hearing or been put to a vote. 

 

Suffolk County legislator Allan Binder has always opposed smokefree workplace legislation.  Several years ago, when he was chair of the health committee, he voted against smokefree legislation for Suffolk County restaurant workers.  This year, he is opposing smokefree legislation for Suffolk County bar and nightclub workers. 

 

In Mr. Binder's mind, he thinks he can defeat smokefree workplace legislation by introducing a bill to prohibit smoking in cars when children under 13 are present.  Apparently Mr. Binder thinks he can paint his colleagues as being hypocritical for passing one bill without passing the other, and thus get them to do nothing.  The funny thing is that Legislator Binder would probably vote against his own smokefree car bill if it ever came to a vote.

 

Besides acting like a spoiled child, Mr. Binder is trying to use the oldest trick in the book to defeat a worthwhile smokefree workplace proposal-- divert attention from the real issue, the right to a safe, smokefree workplace.

 

As one smokefree advocate wrote back to Mr. Binder, "Your attempt to turn tables is a distasteful and ineffective diversionary ploy that leaves my concerns unanswered. It addresses another piece of legislation and says nothing about your position on protecting Suffolk's workers from second-hand smoke."