Smoking exemptions concentrated in high-risk communities

During Tobacco-Free Awareness Week, community leaders came together to draw attention to a significant problem for St. Louis County - exemptions to the 2011 Clean Air Act. While most St. Louis County business owners support keeping establishments smoke-free, the exemptions allowed under the law have drawn sharp criticism from restaurant and hospitality businesses because it create an uneven playing field. Now, thanks to a new analysis conducted by Tobacco-Free St. Louis, the exemptions are under fire from community leaders, as well. The analysis revealed a large number of exemptions in communities where there is already a high incidence of heart attacks and respiratory diseases. "The rate of exemptions is higher in the districts where health disparities are highest - making a bad health situation worse," said Stuart Slavin, M.D., physician and member of Tobacco-Free St. Louis.

"The Clean Air Act was a positive and necessary first step to creating a less toxic environment for St. Louisans. But we're failing those who need it most." North St. Louis County, defined as County Council Districts 1, 2, and 4, has nearly 40 exemptions - higher rate than other parts of the county. According to the Saint Louis County 2011 Community Health Needs Assessment, residents of North County were more likely to have poor health, less access to healthcare, and lower wages. To make matters worse, a large number of North County residents are also uninsured. Also high is South St. Louis County's Council District 6 with 30 exemptions, many of which are located in pockets where health disparities also occur. "Where people are most vulnerable in our community is where they are most likely to be exposed to secondhand smoke and poisonous air," said Rance Thomas, president of North County Churches Uniting for Racial Harmony and Justice.

"These exemptions were put in place to accommodate certain businesses, but that shouldn't come at the expense of public well-being." Many St. Louis County business owners argue that the exemptions actually hurt area businesses. In 2011, 145 locations across the county received exemptions. Exemptions were granted to casinos and bars that generate the majority of their income from the sale of alcohol instead of food. "I was in favor of the Clean Air Act," said Derek Deaver, owner of Three Kings Public House in University City. "Like most people in St. Louis, I actually prefer restaurants smoke-free. But to have some establishments playing by one set of rules and others by a different set of rules has created confusion, and an unlevel playing field.

The exemptions have to go." Among the most impacted are employees of the exempted locations. St. Louis-area resident and employee of American Heart Association, Buffy McKinney lost her nonsmoking mother to lung cancer after she worked for years in a Las Vegas casino where smoking was allowed. "It's more than unfair that thousands of area bar and casino workers are still exposed to toxic chemicals at work. It's immoral," McKinney said. "In this economy, good jobs are hard to come by. My mom had a good job, but it left her with no choice than to breathe in the smoke-filled air around her - and that took her life." Leaders said it is up to citizens to ask their friends, neighbors and relatives to encourage their St. Louis County Council members to remove the exemptions.