Doctors Group Urges Toughest No Smoking Law

The California Medical Assn.’s governing body voted overwhelmingly Monday to recommend what would be the most restrictive smoking law in the nation, including banning of smoking from all indoor places serving the public and outdoor stadiums, and prohibiting cigarette vending machines in California.

The organization’s House of Delegates took an already tough proposal by its largest affiliate, the Los Angeles County Medical Assn., and made it tougher--broadening the county group’s call for a ban on smoking in restaurants, bars and hospitals. The measure passed unanimously on a voice vote at its meeting in San Francisco.

Dr. Howard Lang, CMA president, called it a step on the way toward implementing the association’s goal of a smoke-free society by 2000. The association will push for legislation to make these proposed bans law, Lang said.

Dr. David Chernoff, president of the Los Angeles County group, called the vote by the 450-member house of delegates “an electric moment.”

The measures his group proposed would have made California the most restrictive on smoking of any state in the country. Chernoff said he is delighted by CMA’s decision to expand the sweep of that proposal to prohibit smoking in all indoor public places, such as malls, grocery stores and bank lobbies.

That will help it gain the support of the California Restaurant Assn., which last week said it would oppose the county medical association’s measure because it unfairly singled out restaurants and bars.

Last June, that association, which represents 10,000 California restaurants and has historically opposed such smoking bans, said it would support a ban on the condition that it apply to all public places, said Jo-Linda Thompson, lawyer for the association.

The Washington-based Tobacco Institute, which represents cigarette manufacturers, said last week that it will fight any legislation to implement even the more limited ban. An institute spokesman could not be reached for comment on the CMA action.