Smoke-free air ordinances create an environment that promotes good health and encourages smokers to quit:

• Most tobacco users want to quit. In 2004, 60.4% of Mecklenburg County smokers made a serious quit attempt.
  
  
• Eliminating smoking in the workplace is one of the most effective ways to help tobacco users who want to quit.
  
  
• Smoking employees cost their company an average of $1,429 per smoker per year in increased health care costs over nonsmoking employees. (NC Prevention Partners, 2003)
  
  
• Ventilation systems in restaurants are not solutions. To eliminate the risk would require removing 50,000 liters per second per occupant, which are tornado levels of moving air. (Risk Analysis, 1998)
  
  
• A carefully planned and implemented effort by your business to address the effects of tobacco smoke on your employees' and customers' health shows that your company cares.
  
  
• As smoking by employees and customers is reduced or eliminated, your company may be able to negotiate lower health, life, disability, and fire insurance coverage.