October 14th, 2006
Houston (TX), 10/18/06-- Today, the Houston City Council voted 13-2 for comprehensive smokefree workplace legislation. Beginning September 2007, virtually all Houston workplaces, including restaurants and bars, will be smokefree. Houston joins New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Boston as big cities with strong clean indoor air laws.
Unlikely allies, such as Houston's Chamber of Commerce, AFL-CIO, and Restaurant Association, joined with health groups to push for today's legislation.
"It's a great day for Houston's workers," says Joe Cherner, founder of BREATHE (Bar and Restaurant Employees Advocating Together for a Healthy Environment). "No one should have to breathe a cancer-causing substance to hold a job."
Houston is the nation's 4th largest city.
