by Neelam Mehta
Daily Lobo
Albuquerque voters overwhelmingly support the city's smoking ban, which prohibits smoking in most public places, according to a recent poll by New Mexicans Concerned About Tobacco.
The results of the poll, in which the group surveyed 500 city residents, show 75 percent of voters support the ordinance, which went into effect in July.
Only 22 percent of the people surveyed opposed the ordinance.
"There is absolutely no question about the benefits Albuquerque will see immediately and in the future as a result of this policy," said Bianca Ortiz Wertheim, government relations director for the American Cancer Society.
Wertheim said there are many cities in the nation that have passed much stronger laws and in those communities there has been no negative impact.
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"The law represents exactly what the voters want," she said.
New Mexicans Concerned About Tobacco is a statewide coalition consisting of the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association and American Lung Association, as well as almost 2,000 grassroots advocates.
"I believe we did the right thing in adopting this ordinance," Mayor Martin Ch†vez said in a news release. "It is obviously what the people wanted and, most likely because of that support, enforcement has been very smooth."
The Fire Marshall's Office, the Albuquerque Police Department and the City Environmental Health Department, all of which are responsible for enforcing the ordinance, agree that compliance has been very high, especially in restaurants, according to the news release.
"People are starting to realize smoking is something most people would rather not have around," said Dorothy Rainosek, co-owner of the Frontier restaurant, who decided to make the popular dining spot nonsmoking more than a decade ago. "I think it (the ban) is a positive move. When we eliminated smoking it definitely didn't cause our business to stagnate. People were appreciative, especially those with breathing problems."
Rainosek said the decision to turn the Frontier into a nonsmoking restaurant greatly benefited the employees, as some smokers in the restaurant were very inconsiderate.
"It was very good for our employees," she said. "Sometimes smokers would be at the counter and blow smoke right in their faces. I mean, the smokers have their rights, but we have ours, too."
Wertheim said she hopes the ban will make young people realize that second-hand smoke is a big issue, and also realize the significant health risk smoking poses to themselves and those around them.
"Students who smoke now are very likely to still be smoking when they are 50 or 60," she said. "It is a horrible health cost to them."
Wertheim said she believes going to places where smoking is unacceptable will discourage students from smoking and eventually change their behavior.
However, many students say the smoking ban is an attack on their basic rights.
"There is no point in someone wagging their finger at you and telling you not to smoke," said UNM freshman Sheena Whitaker. "It's perfectly legal for me to do this. It is not the government's place to impose rules on privately owned businesses. It should be left to the judgment of each owner."
