Tobacco Documents Online

/ ¶hr rnfttflrnrr~DUl~t1~ +so, -.s o+n+N:Nc 0;tru x*..E onrJ"aeaE r.:-.__-±•s_=_-~ S+uE ~e:a BLACKSI'QNE VALLEY -uesaav .ucusr 31 tss7.3c ^sn <_:w •ea WEEK ev e: ___ All R.L Burger Kings snuff out smoking, starting tomorrow O A Cranston company, owner of 55 restaurants in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont and Connecticut, joins an escalating movement. By MICE J. FRE'YER lourad-8uDeds M.d1a1 Wdoer Nonsmokers, have It your way. Starting tomorrow, a1129 Burger Kings in Rhode Island - along with 26 in nearby states - will prohibit smoking. The Jan Companies, the Cran- ston-based owner of the 55 restau- rants and one of the nation's largest Burger King franchises, Is joining an escalating . movement toward smoke-free restaurants, in the wake of last January's Environmental Protection Agency report Indicting secondhand smoke as a serious health threaL Janco Is the largest Burger King. franchise In the country to ban smoking. It joins 200 to 250 other smoke-free Burger King restaurants - a tiny percentage of the 5,700 Burger Kings nationwide. "We are delighted that the Jan Companies and Its Burger King res- Turn to BAN, Page A-9

THE PROVtDENCE JOUPNAL-BULLETIfJ ~ROIN41 PAGE ONE Ban Continued f rom Page One taurants have taken a national lead- ership position on going smoke- free." said Dr. Michael Vezeridis, president of the Rhode Island divi- sion of the American Cancer Soci- et1- Janco, which owns 19 Burger King franchises In Massachusetts, 5 In Vertnontand 2 In Connecticut, as well as the 29 In Rhode Island, has been moving toward this dedsion for 18 months, according to market- ing director Patti Cimalore. It banned smoking in the corporate of- fice and the kitchen areas, and re- moved all cigarette vending ma- chines - a main: source of ciga- rettes for underage smokers: The company had been contem- plating going smoke-free when a volunteer from the American Can- cer Society, distressed after taking her children to a smoke-filled Bur- ger King, called a Janco vice presi- dent to complain. The woman also cailed Jerry Maldavir, education di- . rector for the Cancer Society's Rhode Island division. "I contacted Janco," Maldavir sei& "We discussed the EPA report in detail. They were very concerned about the effect of environmental tobacco smoke on both their em- ployees and patrons. "Our Health Department here in Rhode Island estimates that 200 people a year die as a result of their exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. That is something thatJanco is acting to reduce. By eliminating tobacco vending machines, they're doing something to cut off the greatestsource of cigarettes to teen- age kids." EPA report The EPA report, released in Janu- ary, concluded that environmental tobacco smoke - better known as secondhand smoke, or smoke from others' cigarettes inhaled by non- smokers - causes 3,000 lung can- cer deaths each year. The report found that children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of second- hand smoke, which worsens asthma and increases the risk of bronchitis; pneumonia and middle ear disease. In anticipation of the bani cus- tomers arriving at a Janco-owned Burger King today will see signs on the doors. was and'tables that sav. JamaFBulktin/RIC W1Rn 8E NJAMIN SIGN OF THE TIMES: A banner at the Burger King orrPontiac Ave- nue in Cranston proclaims the franchise-holder's new policy. "This Burger King restaurant is a nonsmoking establishment. Thank you for notsmoking." Cimalore expects them to take It well, although the staff has been prepared to answer questions. The company does not expect the ban to ger King. Evans said. Janco's deasion comes at a time when some 80 cittes, towns or coun- ties have passed laws banning smoking in restaurants - most: no- tably Los Angeles, which recently cleared the air in 7,000 restaurants. Restaurants 'have to be responsive to their customers.' WENDY WEBSTER, Restaurant Assn. spokeswoman affect business. At the other Burger Kings that banned smoking: said Michael R. Evans, spokesman for the Burger King Corp::-"there hasn't,been fall- out." After all. Burger King diners aren't lingering over after-dinner dnnks; most smokers can tolerate abstaining for the 20 to 30 minutes thet,vrwcalNa.'nr1, ~,~.•;1r1:. ^ l, RtuT- The only state to take such action, Vermont, will prohibit smoking in restaurants after next year. At the same time, an untold num- ber of restaurants are taking action voluntarily, moved by a variety of~ forces. One concern is about liatility. When the EPA report came os:, the `' :• F.~s,, : anr A.rk_,< a 1- vised its members that the finu ...gs might increase their risk for laa•- suits from long-term employees who contract an illness that could be blamed on secondhan& smoke. Adding fuel to the fire was a study In a recent Journal of the American Medical. Association that found a high death rate from lung cancer among restaurant workers. Around the same time, another study found that restaurants re- quired by law to ban smaking did not suf fer financially. Additionally. restaurants are re- sponding to the wishes of their cus- tomers, many of whom prefer to dine free of tobacco smells. "Restau- rants are operating on 3 and 4 percent profit margins," said Wen- dy Webster, spokeswoman for the National Restaurant Association. "They have to be responsive to their customers." "It wasn't really a liability issue that we made this decision on," Ci- malore said. "We were really Just concerned about the health of our customers and employees." Askedit such concerns were cott- tradictory for a purveyor of burgers and French fries - a diet depY by the American Cancer Soc3ei, well as the American Heart Assoux- tfon - Cimalore said the franchise has no control over the menu. but can control the smoking policy. "Concern for their patrons seems to be what's driving the Burger King restaurants," said Kathleen Scheg, legislative counsel with Ac- tion on Smoking and Health, an ad- vocacy group. "Burger King really deserves to be applauded for pro- tecting its workers and customers. especially children." Ch7dren targeted ASH recently launched a cam- paign to get fast-food restaurants to go smoke-free, because they target children, the group most vulnerable to damage from secondhand smoke. Chuck E Cheese's, a child-orient- ed restaurant chain, went smoke- free earlier this year. In the Phoe- nix, Ariz., area, 13 Burger King franchises owning a total of 60 res- taurants all, went smoke-free on July 1. Scheg said. McDonald's is re- portedly testing the idea at 40 sites. At the 700 restaurants owned by the Burger King Corp., there is a nonsmoking area. The other 5.000 are owned by independent f chises that Burger King permit set their own smoking rules. Most fnlibwthe cor3orate p-)sitinn. 2023668'J44