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The Committee agreed with Councilmember White and moved straight to the public portion of <br />the meeting. <br />Those wishing to speak in favor of Bill 11 -16: <br />Karl Nichols, 1530 College St., thanked the Council for taking the time to hear from th em. He <br />focused on the implementation benefits that Smoke Free St. Joe was willing to provide to the <br />affected businesses during the implementation period. They would help in three main ways <br />including community education, event promotion, and marketing workshops. This would include <br />sending implementation tool kits to all affected businesses. They would set up a smoke free <br />hotline which would answer questions about the new law, provide information about compliance <br />and other resources. They would help with daily and weekly advertisements about the new law <br />prior to enforcement dates. They would coordinate with the Common Council to identify early <br />implementers who would be interested in promotion from Smoke Free St. Joe and have the <br />Smoke Free St. Joe monthly meetings at some of the early adopters bars. Promote events and <br />bars on the Smoke Free St. Joe social media sites and interview and profile one business per <br />month. They would hold at least four (4) two (2) hour marketing workshops for the affected <br />businesses regarding marketing via social media, branding and promoting the venue, event <br />planning, and expanding the customer base. Smoke Free St. Joe wants this potential transition to <br />be positive for anyone involved. <br />Kelli Brien, 115 E. Woodside St., served as a professional in public health for over eight (8) <br />years. She works with mothers and clients who have to choose between their families and their <br />paychecks. St. Joseph County is one of the highest in the nation for infant mortality. These <br />employees are bringing home third hand smoke and harming their children. This ordinance <br />would not only protect the parents who work and frequent these establishments but also the <br />children who do not have a choice. <br />LaTyorya Greene, 1028 Ebeling Dr., it is clear and evident the dangers of second hand smoke. <br />Fifty -nine (59) people from our community die each year to secondhand smoke. Many may not <br />have had an option of where they can work. All residents of South Bend deserve to live, work, <br />study, and play in a smoke free environment. This ordinance would protect all workers from the <br />dangers of secondhand smoke and encourage workers to quit smoking and reduce the amount of <br />people who start smoking. <br />Traci Kennedy, Columbia Missouri, she works for an organization titled Americans for Non <br />Smoker's Rights. Everyone deserves the right to breath clean air at work no matter where the <br />work. This is a public health issue but also there is a negative economic impact on South Bend <br />due to secondhand smoke. These are serious tax payer burdens. There are estimates that each tax <br />payer in Indiana pays approximately $920 due to smoking related state and federal tax burdens. <br />We are already paying for the economic impact of secondhand smoke. <br />Kevin O'Flarrerty, 178 Housatome Drive, CT, is a regional advocacy director for the campaign <br />Tobacco Free Kids. In that capacity he covers eleven (11) states throughout the U.S. including <br />Indiana. He was asked to talk specifically about the legal aspects of the ordinance. Tobacco Free <br />4 <br />