Phasing it out FROM SMOKING PAGE 1 City Hall’s presses on with fight against smoke
CITY HALL — To spread the word about a comprehensive smoking ban that went into effect on Thanksgiving day, city officials have joined forces with a local marketing company specializing in the promotion of healthier lifestyles.
Healthier Solutions Inc., which is funded by state and county grants, is close to distributing thousands of “Fresh Air Santa Monica” signs to local business owners, who will then be able to post them in their windows to warn customers and those passing by that smoking is no longer allowed within 20 feet of public entrances, exits and windows.
The ban also includes the Third Street Promenade, all Farmers’ Markets, outdoor dining areas and bus stops, ATM lines and other service areas. Smoking is already prohibited in the city’s parks, beaches and on portions of the pier.
Still, a full two months after the restrictions went into effect, not a single citation has been issued, according to sources within the Santa Monica Police Department, and smokers remain prevalent throughout the city in areas that are being earmarked as smoke-free.
City Hall hopes the new signs, decals and promotional efforts can help change all that.
In addition to the signs, Healthier Solutions is working with City TV on a public service announcement. City Hall has also sent out brochures to merchants, set up a Web site with information on the law and is planning to stuff notices in residents’ utility bills.
The effort, which kicked off this week with the posting of new signs on the promenade warning against smoking there, is part of “phase 2” in the effort to change attitudes and habits, according to Don Patterson, assistant city manager for management services.
“Phase 1 was more educational,” Patterson said. “We held a meeting with the (Santa Monica) Chamber of Commerce to get the word out. We’ve sent brochures. Now we are getting into the nuts and bolts of it, more regulatory with the signs and stickers.”
In the next few months, those who ride the Big Blue Bus will notice new signage that prohibits smoking, as well as identification numbers so riders will be able to use their cell phones to access up-to-the-minute information on arrival times, said Dan Dawson, a spokesman for the BBB.
The City Council approved the ban late last year following reports by the U.S. surgeon general and the California Air Resources Board that found no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke, labeling it a toxic air contaminant.
Secondhand smoke is the smoke that individuals breathe when they are located in the same air space as someone puffing on a cigarette or tobacco pipe. Nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke at home or work increase their risk of developing heart disease by 25 to 30 percent and lung cancer by 20 to 30 percent, reports show.
Those who violate the law are subject to a $250 fine, but so far, no citations have been issued, according to police.
The council’s approval of the ban was seen by advocates, including the American Cancer Society, as a major victory for public health in light of the fact that nearly half of all non-smoking Americans are still regularly exposed to secondhand smoke.
Those opposed to the ban, including restaurant owners and hotels, said the ban would hurt their bottom line, driving away tourists.
So far, informal surveys of visitors to downtown have shown most people are receptive to the new law, if not always adherent.
“It will take some time to see this very big shift in behavior and attitudes to take place,” said Robert Berger, president of Healthier Solutions. “But hopefully with this new sig-nage, we will take a big step forward.”
A delicate balance must be struck when trying to notify the public, Berger and others said. City Hall wants people to be informed, but there is some concern that too much sig-nage would be confusing and create clutter.
That’s part of the reason why the signs on the promenade are relatively subtle. If one is not specifically looking for the signs, chances are they would pass them by without notice. Smoking is listed on the signs along with about half a dozen other regulations that include warnings against drinking in public and sleeping on sidewalks.
“I think we are sort of waiting to see how those signs work,” said Kathleen Rawson, executive director of the Bayside District Corp., which helps City Hall manage downtown. “We have talked about signs at the intersections and we are still discussing that. There are still areas off the promenade that people can smoke, so we are talking about putting up signs that show where smoking is allowed... more of a positive spin.
“We are always trying to balance passing on information to the public and sign clutter. It’s not easy.”
Berger agrees. When the city passed a ban on smoking at the beach, posting signs every 20 feet or so was virtually impossible and would not have been aesthetically pleasing. That lead to City Hall working with the creator of the Doonesbury cartoon to develop an eye-catching advertisement about the smoking ban using the strip’s “Mr. Butts”character.
The logo was credited with helping spread the word.
“I don’t think the signs on the promenade are enough in terms of communication,” Berger said. “Hopefully, all of the other activities we are doing will add to that. We will continue to keep on top of it and if we find that there is not adequate communication, we will find other strategies.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 26, 2007. Read the original PDF.