Smoking Ban in Torrance Is Adopted Unanimously

Responding to the concerns of nonsmokers, the Torrance City Council has unanimously adopted a law banning smoking in most public places, requiring nonsmoking areas in larger restaurants and smoke-free zones at work.

After hearing from a steady stream of supporters but no opponents, the council voted 7-0 to join more than 120 other California communities that have approved ordinances to crack down on smoking.

Torrance’s new law will take effect Christmas Eve.

The council’s action delighted advocates of nonsmokers’ rights who had pressed the council to adopt smoking restrictions after U. S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop warned last December of the health risks from breathing secondhand smoke.

Moments after adopting the anti-smoking law, the council also unanimously approved another public health measure--posting signs in grocery stores, bars and restaurants warning pregnant women of the dangers of drinking alcoholic beverages.

The 10-inch-square signs warn that drinking beer, wine or other alcoholic beverages during pregnancy can cause birth defects.

But it was the smoking issue that prompted the most discussion as representatives of the American Cancer Society, health professionals and Torrance residents urged adoption of the ordinance protecting nonsmokers.

“We can best protect the public health by protecting nonsmokers from background smoke,” said cancer society volunteer Seymour Uberman. “The rights of the smoker end where their behavior affects the health of the nonsmoker.”

Dr. Daniel Kao of Torrance, a specialist in lung diseases, urged council members to get tough with smokers. “There is no doubt that cigarette smoking is the main cause of people with lung problems,” Kao said. “I don’t see how we can in good conscience let the smoker puff away.”

William McCarthy, a UCLA professor and cancer society representative, praised the ordinance as “a good start” but urged that the smoking ban be extended to licensed day care centers. The council agreed.

The ordinance, which will take effect Christmas Eve, bans smoking in most public places, including supermarkets, retail stores, pharmacies, the indoor public areas of hotels and motels, banks and offices, city buildings, buses and taxis. Bars, residences, hotel and motel guest rooms, tobacco stores and private functions are exempt.

Restaurants with 50 seats or more will be required to set aside half of their seating area for nonsmokers, although barriers are not required.

Monte McElroy, administrator of Torrance’s Environmental Quality Division, said the smoking ban will not apply to public areas between stores in the sprawling Del Amo shopping mall or other shopping malls.

Councilman Mark Wirth called the ordinance “a necessary first step” but suggested the anti-smoking restrictions someday may be extended to walkways inside the malls.

Set Aside for Nonsmokers

Wirth also suggested that more than 50% of the seats in larger restaurants might be set aside for nonsmokers.

The ordinance also requires half the area in employee cafeterias and lounges be reserved for nonsmokers.

The workplace restrictions, which will take effect in four months, allow employees to designate their immediate work area as a nonsmoking zone. Immediate work areas would be defined by employers, and in disputes, employers would be required to give precedence to nonsmokers.

The maximum penalty for violating the anti-smoking law is a $500 fine and six months in jail.

The Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce, which had opposed parts of the ordinance when it was debated last month, remained silent during Tuesday night’s council deliberations.

However, Councilman Bill Applegate warned that the city may be forced to mediate disputes at private businesses if nonsmokers feel they haven’t been adequately protected from smokers by their employers.

Overwhelming Support

Marjorie Maxwell of Torrance, who identified herself as a nonsmoker with respiratory problems, said she found overwhelming public sentiment for smoking controls. She said only five people opposed the ordinance out of more than 250 people she contacted.

Daniel Stock of Torrance suggested the law did not go far enough and he recommended a total ban on cigarette advertising to convince young people that smoking is dangerous.

Health concerns also led the council to require at least one warning sign in places where alcoholic beverages are sold.

A surgeon general’s report issued in 1981 warned that pregnant women who drink alcohol can develop fetal alcohol syndrome--a pattern of mental, physical and behavioral defects in unborn children.

Under provisions of Proposition 65, the toxics initiative approved by voters last year, alcohol has been placed on a list of chemicals known to cause birth defects.

The Deukmejian Administration and the liquor industry favor warning signs rather than stricter legislative proposals, which would place warning labels on all alcoholic beverages sold in the state.