Loading...Smokefree Air Implementation effective Friday, July 1
SB 90 – The Georgia Smokefree Air Act of 2005, sponsored by Senator Don Thomas (R-Dalton) becomes effective on Friday, July 1. Beginning Friday, smoking will be prohibited inside most public areas across the state.
Smoking will be prohibited - 24 hours a day - in most enclosed facilities including buildings owned, leased or operated by the State and local governmening authorities. These types of areas include, but are not limited to:
· Auditoriums
· Cafeterias
· Classrooms
· Common work areas
· Conference rooms
· Elevators
· Employee lounges
· Hallways
· Medical facilities
· Meeting rooms
· Offices
· Restaurants & bars
· Restrooms
· Stairs
· All other enclosed facilities not covered by an exemption (see below)
Smoking will still be allowed in:
· Private residences (unless used as a licensed child care, adult daycare or healthcare facility).
· Hotel and motel rooms that are rented to guests and are designated as smoking rooms (not to exceed 20% of room rentals).
· Retail tobacco stores, provided that secondhand smoke does not infiltrate to areas where smoking is prohibited.
· Long-term care facilities as defined in paragraph (3) of Code section 31-8-81.
· Outdoor areas of places of employment.
· Smoking areas in international airports (as designated).
· All workplaces of any manufacturer, importer, or wholesaler, leaf dealer or processor of tobacco products and tobacco storage facilities.
· Private and semi-private rooms in health care facilities listed under Title 31 that are occupied by one or more persons.
· Smoking areas designated by an employer solely for employees which meet specific requirements, such as the area must be located in a non-working area with an independent air handling system.
· Convention facility meeting rooms and public and private assembly rooms within a convention facility which is not leased or operated wholly or partially by the state or local governing authority while used for private functions where individuals under 18 are prohibited from attending or working as an employee during the function.
· Common work areas, conference rooms, meeting rooms, and private offices in private places of employment, other than medical facilities, open to the general public by appointment only; however, smoking is prohibited in any public reception area of such place of employment.
· Private clubs, military officer clubs and noncommissioned officer clubs.
Restaurants and bars, as follows:
· All restaurants that deny access to any person under the age of 18 and that do not employ individuals under the age of 18.
· Private rooms in restaurants and bars if the rooms are enclosed and have an air handling system independent from the main air system that serves all other areas of the building and all air within the private room is exhausted directly to the outside by an exhaust fan of sufficient size.
To comply with the new law:
· Update your workplace smoking policy to reflect the new law.
· Talk with customers and employees about the new law and prepare them for changes.
· Post appropriate signage (“no smoking” or “smoking is allowed”) at all entrances including bathrooms, stairwells on each floor, bulletin boards and other prominent places.
· Request any person smoking to refrain from smoking inside the workplace.
· Refer to the law and to workplace policy when dealing with violators (law assesses fines against the smoking violator for infractions).
· Remove all ashtrays from the premises.
The Georgia Department of Human Resources asks that employers communicate the new rules to all current employees by July 1 and to each prospective employee upon application for employment.
Questions about penalties, enforcement of the new law, complying with the new law or obtaining signage may be addressed by:
· Visiting the Department of Human Resources website: www.dhr.georgia.gov/gasmokefreeairact (scheduled to go online by Friday, July 1).
· E-mailing gasmokefreeair@dhr.state.ga.us (scheduled to go online by Friday, July 1).
· Calling the Department of Human Resouces Q & A line at (404) 657-3378.
Local Chambers of Commerce are encouraged to forward this information to their members so that as many employers as possible will be aware of the new guidelines.
Local non-smoking ordinances that provide stricter guidelines will supersede the new state law.
