Written by Newport resident and registered nurse Chelsea Bear
Five years ago, I moved to the area with my husband for a work opportunity. Looking to live in Ohio or Northern Kentucky, we settled in Newport. No place is perfect, but there was definitely lots of upside to our decision.
As I’ve grown in my commitment to my adopted community, I am increasingly worried that we have some downsides that need addressing if we are to attract new residents to keep our community thriving. Simple things that will stop prospective residents in their tracks. Things like “smoking is still allowed, even in restaurants!”
I know what you’re thinking – I moved here, so how is something like smoking really that bad? I am a nurse, and I see it every day. Smoking kills, and that includes being exposed to secondhand smoke. Each year 41,000 deaths are caused by secondhand smoke. Even if it is not fatal, secondhand smoke inflicts damage on anyone exposed. Lung cancer and heart disease in adults. Respiratory infections for children. We regulate so many things, because there are safety concerns – hand washing, food handling, fire suppression, number of entrances/exits, etc. Why does smoking get a pass?
Now I also think about the negative impact public smoking has on people like me looking for a new community to call home. With so many options for new residents, the final decision about where to live often comes down to what “feels right.” Allowing smoking in public places challenges people’s feelings about a place. And the results are never positive.
Don’t think public smoking is an emotional turn off? Call a professional connection who lives in another major city. Not just places in New York or California – Atlanta, Dallas, Nashville, Charlotte, Cleveland, Tampa Bay, Denver. Call them up and tell them you can still smoke in a restaurant(!) where you live and see what their reaction is. Or at a bowling alley where so many kids want to have their birthday party.
I moved from Alaska where there is a law against smoking in public places. If Alaskan political leaders found it reasonable to regulate public spaces with that protection, I just assumed everywhere had done the same. With the recent legalization of marijuana in my former state, Alaskan politicians are looking even wiser in their decision to protect their citizens from all types of smoke!
Right now you may be asking yourself… “Why should I care what they think about our smoking laws? Tobacco is part of our history. It’s who we are.” Trust me, I’ve heard these exact statements and many like them over and over. So let me tell you why we should care.
The only way Northern Kentucky improves economically is if we continue to grow. That means bringing people from other areas to live and work here. Because Ohio is an immediate alternative to Northern Kentucky, we must make sure we are completely buttoned up in our appeal to these transplants.
So I am asking our leaders: help us help ourselves! Acknowledge that allowing smoking in public places is not only bad for anyone exposed to that smoke – we know this to be absolutely true – but that it puts us at an extreme disadvantage in the talent competition that we must win to thrive.
Chelsea Bear is a Newport resident and registered nurse. She is currently a full-time doctoral student studying nurse anesthesia.
