Representatives of University Health Services, the UW Hospital and Clinics and the UW Medical Foundation staff announced the formation of a coalition last week to support an initiative in the Madison City Council to ban smoking in area restaurants with 50 percent or less alcohol sales. The ban will be voted on at Tuesday's City Council meeting.
Coalition members said they are concerned with the negative repercussion of second-hand smoke, especially to employees of restaurants.
\People [who] work in an environment that has smoke ... are going to be subjected to levels of second-hand smoke that can damage their health,"" said Dr. Jeffery Grossman, president and chief executive office of UW Medical Foundation.
To show support for the ban, the coalition has written letters to the mayor and members of the City Council. Members of the coalition will also speak at the hearing Tuesday, said Kathy Poi, executive director of UHS.
However, Barb Mercer, president of the Madison Dane County Tavern League said people need to look at the issue as a ""matter of business practice."" She also said she believes that ""personal rights are being violated"" by the ban.
Poi said she disagrees.
""We have good data to tell us that this exposure to smoke endangers health. What we don't have is good data to suggest that by putting this kind of a ban will, in fact, have a negative effect on the businesses."" Poi said.
Student involvement in the coalition is limited, but it still plays a role.
""We certainly have student staff at UHS that [are] involved with this,"" Poi said. ""We provide opportunities with tables at Union South and within UHS where students [can] sign petitions on the issue. That [is] about the quickest way to get student input on this.""
In regards to the upcoming vote, Poi said she is optimistic.
""This is going to be a really close vote,"" she said. ""We hope the mayor and members of the City Council will be impressed that this coalition of health care providers are concerned about this issue and see this as an important strategy in terms of reducing the exposure to second hand smoke and improving the health of the Madison community.""
