No Smokes Bill Pfeifer, president of the American Lung Association’s Arizona chapter, backs a statewide initiative to ban smoking in shops, bars and restaurants.

The signatures of what appears to be more than 185,000 supporters of a proposed initiative to ban indoor smoking in Arizona businesses, restaurants and bars were filed with the Secretary of State’s Office on June 20.
If 122,612 of the signatures prove to be valid, the initiative authored by Smoke-Free Arizona will become the second measure to be approved for the 2006 ballot in November.
Smoke-Free Arizona is a conglomerate of representatives from the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Lung Association and the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association.
Bill Pfeifer, the group’s chairman and current president of the Arizona chapter of the American Lung Association, is confident Arizona voters will vote to ban smoking from indoor establishments, including restaurants and bars.
Most adults no longer view smoking as an acceptable part of visiting bars, and fears that smoking bans will negatively impact streams of tourism are overblown, he said.
“I think attitudes about smoking have changed,” said Mr. Pfeifer, who estimates that 18 percent of Arizona’s adults smoke cigarettes. “In the states that passed comprehensive smoking bans it (tourism) didn’t collapse.”
Under the proposed initiative, the smoking ban will be enforced by the Department of Health Services and paid for by establishing a half-cent per cigarette or 10 cents a pack tax.
The initiative includes “common sense exemptions” including outdoor patios, cigar shops with a majority of revenue derived from tobacco sales, and private veterans’ and fraternal clubs. Spokesman Troy Corder said the initiative does not prohibit smoking in casinos and other businesses on Indian land.
The group will spend the next several months educating the public about the health risks associated with second-hand smoke and fighting the Arizona Non-Smoker Protection Act, a rival initiative sponsored by RJ Reynolds and the Arizona Licensed Beverage Association, said Mr. Pfeifer.
On its Web site, Smoke-Free Arizona states the Arizona Non-Smoker Protection Act is “deceptively titled” with the intention of confusing voters into signing the petition. A similar measure defeated in California is described as “sleazy.”
On its application for initiative filed with the Secretary of State’s Office, the non-smoker proposal states the act would creates a “balanced, reasonable, consistent, statewide non-smoking law, protecting minors and preserving property rights” without raising taxes or creating new government programs.
Rival act would nullify existing regulations, group says
The rival Arizona Non-Smoker Protection Act, filed May 24, would prohibit smoking in enclosed spaces and places of employment with the exception of bars and tobacco shops that permit smoking. Signs also must notify patrons and employees where smoking is permitted and if part of larger business, the bars and tobacco shops must be separated by floor to ceiling partitions and separate ventilation systems.
Smoke-Free Arizona argues the measure would nullify existing non-smoking regulations, allow smoking in workplaces and prevent local governments from passing measures against secondhand smoke.
Records kept by the Secretary of State’s Office show that Smoke-Free Arizona is the second largest grossing ballot measure committee, trailing only First Things First for Arizona’s Children, a group intent on funding health and educational programs for children.
Since Jan. 1, the first campaign finance disclosure deadline required by state law, Smoke-Free Arizona has collected about $310,000 in large donations of at least $10,000.
Complete financial disclosures from the period between Jan. 1 to May 31 must be filed by June 30 with the Secretary of State’s Office.
Mr. Pfeifer said fund-raising efforts to advance the smoking ban have been going well, but that he is mindful the tobacco industry in support of the Arizona Non-Smoker Protection Act also has strong fundraising potential.
“We think we’ll have a pretty good war chest,” he said.
Campaign finance records show supporters of the Arizona Non-Smoker Protection Act have collected $21,000 in contributions.
Signatures required to place proposed initiatives on the 2006 ballot in November must be filed with the Secretary of State’s Office by July 6.
On May 22, signatures to qualify the Arizona Voter Reward Act for the 2006 ballot were filed with the Secretary of State’s Office. If passed, the initiative would reward a single random voter in the primary and general election with $1 million.