I called into this committee about an ordinance that is being brought to Oakland (a historical leader in non-smoker rights) on both smoke-free bar patios and smoke-free multi-unit housing, which passed in Vallejo in 2022 unanimously, thanks to the hard work of our coalition.

Here are my comments, which I had to shorten to under ninety seconds:

“I’m Joseph Hayden with LGBTQ Minus Tobacco and the Alameda County Tobacco Control Coalition. Protecting bar staff should be a given.  Staff members often must walk into patio areas of their places of employment. It is also unfair to patrons who want to breathe fresh air to have to be subjected to an uncontrolled amount of passive smoke in a confined area.  We strongly support the passage of THIS aspect of the ordinance as written. I WANT to support the adoption of a Smokefree Multi-Unit Housing Ordinance, but the burden of proof to show the type of smoke that is being forced on should NOT fall on victims who may be wheelchair-bound or otherwise immune compromised from asthma, cancer, Covid, and any number of respiratory diseases.  Smoke (which could be the CO-USE of Tobacco and cannabis) permeates through balconies, windows, and even electric sockets.  Smokeless cannabis options abound. Oakland should prioritize the protection of its citizens rather than yielding to the cannabis industry’s talking points. Many California jurisdictions, including numerous cities in the Bay Area, have already implemented smoke-free multi-unit housing without a cannabis exception because that’s the only thing that makes sense. Thank you.”

This video has all the comments from our coalition and the cannabis lobby.