The frequent dining-out query

"smoking or nonsmoking?" may soon become unnecessary, in Fayette

County at least.

The county Board of Health,

citing increasing evidence that the slightest exposure to secondhand tobacco

smoke poses a risk to nonsmokers, is launching a campaign for a countywide

smoking ban that would be the toughest in Georgia, and among the toughest

in the nation.

Though health board members

say that the extent of the ordinance has yet to be decided, early conversations

have suggested modeling it after laws in California that outlaw smoking

in all public places, including private business offices, bars and restaurants.

Dr. Thomas Faulkner, a Peachtree

City resident and member of the health board, asked the city council Thursday

to consider a resolution that would support adoption of a common ordinance.

The resolution will be presented

to the city councils in Fayetteville, Brooks, Inman and Woolsey as well,

and is essentially a show of hands to see if interest is high enough to

pursue the matter further, said Cynthia Grant, county nurse manager.

If each of the municipal governments

agree to support the ordinance, the County Commission would have jurisdiction

over enforcing it, Grant said.

The Board of Health otherwise

has no power to legislate, enforce rulings or even appropriate funds,

Grant explained. It serves simply as an advisory panel to the health department,

and is at the mercy of the government bodies.

Though the proposed countywide

ban may sound extreme, the Board of Education adopted a full moratorium

on all tobacco use and possession on all its property, including football

stadiums, years ago.

Peachtree City enacted a "Stop

and Go" warning system in 1999, wherein businesses are required to

post a sign at their entrance to advise customers of the presence or absence

of cigarette smoke.

Faulkner said some 2,500 communities,

primarily in California and Massachusetts, have adopted smoking bands

similar to the one being considered in Fayette County.

In Georgia, he said, there

are just three communities that come close to enforcing a nonsmoking ordinance

as the one being considered: In Loganville, all work places including

restaurants are smoke free; in Effingham County, you can smoke at work,

unless you work at a restaurant, which are smoke-free; and in DeKalb County,

smoking is banned in all workplaces but restaurants and bars are exempt.

The county does not have any

ordinance in place now, Faulkner said.

Councilman Murray Weed asked

Faulkner what the term "public place" meant.

"If the Board of Health

had its way, it would mean all areas within the city including stores,

restaurants, offices, private businesses, but also sports fields, recreation

fields and venues."

Councilmembers appeared agreeable

to the resolution, but took it under advisement so city staff could study

the consequences.

Grant said there is no time

frame for adopting the ordinance countywide, but it has been in the discussion

stage for several months.

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