Kentucky Chamber to testify in favor of a statewide smoke-free workplace law

Passage of law is part of 2014 legislative agenda

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Nov. 18, 2013) — On Thursday, the Kentucky Chamber will testify before members of the Interim Joint Committee on Economic Development in support of a statewide smoke-free workplace law. Chamber Board Member Brent Cooper, president of C-Forward in Covington, and Chamber Public Affairs Manager Ashli Watts will present alongside Lee Todd, immediate past president of the University of Kentucky.

With the strong support of its members, the chamber has been a long-time advocate of implementing a statewide smoke-free law in Kentucky. The business community has been hit hard by the negative impact smoking and secondhand smoke has on the workforce in terms of employee productivity and insurance costs, the chamber said in a press release.

“Over 90 percent of respondents expressed support for a smoke-free law in Kentucky in a recent chamber survey,” Watts said. “It’s clear that Kentucky’s attitude toward smoking and secondhand smoke exposure is changing and the health effects can no longer be ignored.

The passage of a smoke-free workplace law is part of the chamber’s 2014 legislative agenda.