South Carolina Tobacco Collaborative

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Smoke Free

Everyone has a right to breathe smoke-free air. Nationwide, more and more workplaces are going smoke free. However, South Carolina has few real smoke-free workplace laws. There have been significant gains in reducing exposure to secondhand smoke in the general population, but those in blue collar and service jobs – such as craft workers, laborers and hospitality workers – are still disproportionately exposed at the workplace.

In recent years, more local governments have taken steps to protect their citizens from secondhand smoke exposure. Our coalition partners work to support those efforts, as well as building campaigns to promote cessation and prevention. SCTC continues to build and strengthen our grassroots network statewide, as well as providing education and information.

Our campaign for smoke-free workplaces has impacted cities from the mountains to the coast as municipalities are choosing to protect their workers from the many health hazards of secondhand smoke. Link here to see a map and list of the municipalities and counties that have passed smoke-free ordinances since the release of the 2006 Surgeon General's Report.

View a Model City/County Ordinance here.

 

The Hospitality / Music Connection

Hospitality workers and Musicians breathe more secondhand smoke on the job than employees in any other occupational group. (Link here for more information on the special interests of this group.) 

That’s why the South Carolina Tobacco Collaborative, the Christopher Conner Foundation and the Musicians and Songwriters Guild of South Carolina have joined together to generate awareness about the dangers of exposure to secondhand smoke, an often overlooked public health hazard that performers confront every day. These three organizations have come together  to create several awareness building messages specific to the issue of hospitality workers and musicians who are exposed to smoking in the workplace:

"Her Life"
A song and music video by Lucas War Hero that illuminates the life of a waitperson working in a smoking-allowed environment. Link here.

 

 

“Rock ‘N a Hard Place:  Musicians for a Smoke-Free South Carolina.”
A 2008 calendar , which featured South Carolina musicians who support smoke-free workplaces.

 

The groups also jointly support the annual Kick Butts 5K in Columbia.