Georgia citizens should urge Gov. Perdue to sign state's smoking ban

Editor:

The Georgia State Senate and the House deserve credit for standing up for our right to breathe clean air indoors. A vote for SB 90, the Smokefree Air Act of 2005, is a great stride forward in protecting the health of our community, in particular, our children and young people. It took courage for many senators and representatives to vote overwhelmingly the way they did and to make Georgia a healthier state for all of us!

Now, SB 90 bill is on our governor's desk waiting to be signed into law. We have a governor who has made children a priority during his administration, and I applaud him for that. Studies show that smoke-free laws help to discourage youth from smoking. Young people under 18 cannot buy, possess or smoke cigarettes under Georgia law, and many are making the decision not to smoke at all, yet they all must breathe in the most dangerous smoke of all -- secondhand smoke -- in places where they work, eat and play.

Our teens shouldn't have to worry about their health when they work summers in restaurants and other hospitality venues where they are exposed to secondhand smoke for several hours or more at a time.

This bill, if signed into law by Gov. Sonny Perdue, would place "limits" on people only where our children are concerned. And as caring and responsible adults aren't we to protect their health and future health in any way we can?

Please contact our governor and implore him to sign SB90. The phone number is (404) 656-1776 or go www.gov.state.ga.us/contact_dom.shtml, click on the link, "Contact Governor Perdue" to submit an e-mail message with this request.

Jean Banister

Georgia PTA Board

Youth Services Chair