State Health Department would like to stamp out smoking in public

Tuesday, November 21st 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

The Oklahoma Health Department wants to snuff out smoking in all public buildings, including restaurants. The stateâ€™s health leaders admit it will take a few years before they can convince people to rule out smoking in Oklahoma restaurants. They say the first step is changing the law, so communities can govern themselves.

What do Austin, Texas, Mesa, Arizona, and hundreds of other cites including all of California have in common? They're on the growing list of cities snuffing out smoking anywhere in public including at work or in a restaurant.

Many would like smoking snuffed out closer to home. Ayzel Aydin has been a hostess at a Tulsa restaurant for two years. Because of her allergies, she hasn't worked in the smoking section until now. She says her employer is now forcing her to work in the smoking section. She's willing to lose her job to fight for her rights. "When I am forced to inhale cigarette smoke, then what my employer is saying to me is, â€˜we don't care about your health, money is more important to us,â€™" Aydin said.

Tulsa Mayor Susan Savage wants to limit or outlaw smoking in public buildings, including city hall. But by Oklahoma law, she can't even ask the city council to consider it. This year the State Board of Health wants to ask lawmakers to let communities set their own standards.

Dr. Fred Garfinkel, a lung disease specialist, testified to lawmakers about the dangers of second hand smoke to thousands of people with allergies and lung problems. He says allowing Oklahoma communities to make their own laws, is the first step to clearing the air. â€œPeople would get used to not smoking,â€ he explained. â€œThat is what has happened on airplanes now. Most people sit in an airplane much longer than they sit in an restaurant."

Robby Randall is a waiter at Mexicali's Restaurant. He says smokers have rights too, and he says there are a lot of them. Nationwide, studies show 27 per cent of Americans smoke. â€œCigarette smoke stink is horrible,â€ he said. â€œI can understand that. People that don't smoke hate it. However, we all have a free right if we choose to smoke or choose not to smoke," Randall continued.

Savage has asked lawmakers for city control over anti-smoking laws regarding public buildings, and has been denied in the past. California's no public smoking movement started on the local level.