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A Month With Smoking Law: Problems Resolved Smoothly By PENELOPE MC MILLAN, 71mea Staff Writer- One month after Los Angeles' tough new anti- result in either a hearing once a complaint is filed with complaining her boss fired her for complaining that the smoking ordinance went Into effect, officials are still receivin lent of in uiries and co l i t i . the city attorney, or a pr-oaecution; punishable by a - $500 office wasn't complying with the ordinance." g p y q _ mp a nts abou t fine, six months in Jail, or both. The Identiti es of the parties involved he added But with few exceptions. most problems have been v Of the 1,399 calls, Coplen said, the majority were _ , . would not be made public unless the cases fail to be resol ed short o(court action. e inquiries about the law and what compliance meant. resolved in their scheduled June hearings and proceed According to D puty City Atty. Bruce Coplen, who is Only 11 resulted in complaints being filed with the to court - coordinaung enforcement rocedures 399 t l 1 hone ffi h d Of d h . - p ep , . e ' o ce, e ad e . t ose, 17 were resolved through The majority of telephone Inquiries received hav calls have been received by the city attorney s office about the law, which states that, "to the maximum letters or phone calls by hearing officers and 22 are still ---- - under investigation e been from "employers who wanted to verify if they were i " " " . - n compliance. Coplen noted. and from em lo - extent possible, employers must provide a smoke-free work area for those who want one. - Heaelag.9ebeJoled p _ y ees complaining their employers were not in compll- -- ance." , Smoking is no longer permitted In company eleva- The two remaining complaints are scheduled for city A lesser number of calls came from employees "who tors, medical facilitres, restrooms and two=thirds of all attorney hearings. felt their employers had gone too far " " he added "and lounge areas. cafeterias and lunchrooms. "One of those is where a secretary is complaining , . from people inquiring why restaurants and retail stores Violations by employers, such as reprisals against a that her boss is smoking in her non-smoking area " aren't covered by the ordinance " non-smoking employce are misdemeanors, which c , - C l id " . , an op en sa . The other is where an employee Is Please.ee Sl11ORIN(i, Page 3 SMOKING C.atl.r.d fr.ae I!ali• I An amendment to the new law was introduced last week by City Councilmen Howard Finn and Marvin Braude and has been re- ferred to the city attorney'a office for review. lt would require that retail and department stores either provide a smoke-free environment or post signs saying that a smoke-free environment is not available. Co- plen said. So far, he added, no amendment has been introduced to place rea- taurant9 under the ordinance. %'v8V99~%0?~

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