Surgeon general's report may pave way for total smoking ban

A new report on the dangers of second-hand smoke has authorities across the country scrambling to strengthen their local smoking ordinances — including Houston, where City Council could push for a ban in all public buildings when the ordinance comes up for review in September.

Surgeon General Richard Carmona said yesterday that there's evidence that second-hand smoke is more dangerous than previously thought, especially to children. "Second-hand smoke is not a mere annoyance. It is a serious health hazard that can lead to disease and premature death in children and nonsmoking adults," Carmona said. That gave momentum to the local anti-smoking effort; Mayor Bill White asked City Councilwoman Carol Alvarado to lead the push for a total ban in the city, and Alvarado said she hopes to make a proposal early this fall.

Houston's current smoking ordinance allows smoking in resaurant bar areas, outdoor dining areas and freestanding bars, but the new government report shows it might not work so well: Using ventilation systems to remove smoke from a shared smoking/non-smoking space isn't effective, findings show. "This is a big step for Houston and the surgeon general's report should help endorse our push for a complete ban," Alvarado told the Chronicle. "Houston's been dragging in that regard. We need to act more than incrementally."