City of Birmingham creates new smoke-free Health District

There is no risk-free level of second-hand smoke exposure, and even brief exposure can be harmful to health, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

That’s why the Birmingham City Council on Oct. 15 unanimously passed an ordinance that creates a smoke-free Health District on Birmingham’s Southside. The new ordinance is an amendment to earlier smoking restrictions passed by the council in 2012.

Under the ordinance, which will go into effect Dec. 1, smoking on public rights of way will be prohibited and violators will be fined.

Included in the new district are the health care facilities that helped create the ordinance: Children’s of Alabama, Cooper Green Mercy Health Services, Jefferson County Department of Health, Southern Research, UAB, UAB Medicine and Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

In the past, organizations have prohibited or limited smoking on their property, but smoking was permitted at adjacent city sidewalks.

“I am grateful for the leadership of these organizations, and I join the Birmingham City Council in full support,” Mayor Randall Woodfin said.

The ordinance will not impact smoking in vehicles or inside residences in the area that allow smoking. Businesses will be allowed to designate smoking areas on their property that are not on public rights of way.

Councilor Steven Hoyt, who quit smoking about 25 years ago, said the new ordinance “is about raising awareness.”

“People didn’t think they could survive without smoking in restaurants but here we are today,” he said.

UAB adopted a non-smoking policy in 2015, but the school also began to push the idea of a health district to promote health and wellness, including tobacco cessation, clean air and walkability.

As part of the initiative, educational messages and resources to help people quit smoking will be promoted by the partner organizations.

“This ordinance will allow organizations committed to the health of those we serve to enact meaningful policies and educational programs that make a real difference,” said Mark Wilson, CEO of the Jefferson County Department of Health.

“We, too, intend to make the most of this opportunity to help people achieve better health,” Cooper Green Deputy Director Laura Hurst said. “As we continue to increase our focus on supporting our patients’ overall well-being, not just treating them when they are sick, initiatives like these help us set a tone.”