Smoke-free law a success in Calhoun

Results of a statewide-survey conducted indicated a very high rate of compliance with the Dr. Ron Davis Smokefree Air Law one year after it was implemented. The survey conducted in over 1,000 restaurants and bars statewide, including 12 restaurants and six bars in Calhoun County, indicated a 96 percent compliance rate with the law.

On behalf of the Calhoun County Public Health Department, I extend my thanks to Calhoun County bar and restaurant owners and managers for the great job they have done in complying with the new law.

In June 2011, staff members of the Calhoun County Public Health Department and the Calhoun County Substance Abuse Council conducted a lunch-time survey in downtown Battle Creek asking people how they felt about the smoke-free law one year after its implementation. Out of 100 people surveyed, 94 said they liked the law and enjoyed breathing smokefree air when patronizing our restaurants and bars.

The smoke-free air law has been successful in reducing Calhoun County residents' exposure to secondhand smoke. In addition, the Michigan Department of Treasury's report, "The Early Impact of Michigan's Smoking Ban," showed that Michigan's smoke-free air law has had little to no impact on the state's food and beverage industry.

Since its implementation in May of 2010 among taverns with beer/wine only, night clubs, family restaurants and fast-food facilities, total sales tax collections have increased from 2.73 to 2.84 percent. The results are based on a year-over-year statistical comparison of statewide sales tax collections from this industry.

However, Calhoun County still has a long way to go to reduce smoking rates and tobacco-related illnesses in our county. According to the Behavioral Risk Factor Survey conducted in 2009, 25.8 percent of Calhoun County adults smoke compared with 19.8 percent for Michigan. Additionally, in 2009, 190 adult deaths were linked directly with tobacco use. Smoking is also an issue for pregnant women, with 24.9 percent of Calhoun County women smoking while pregnant (Michigan Vital Statistics), and teens, with 18.8 percent of high schoolers reporting that they had smoked cigarettes in the past 30 days (2009-10 MiPHY data). Tobacco also takes its toll on the economics of the county. In 2009, $50.9 million were spent on smoking-related direct health care costs. Approximately 32 percent of these costs ($16.5 million) were paid by Medicaid.