By Pastor Teresa Thomas Boyd
My name is Pastor Teresa Thomas Boyd and I serve as the Senior Pastor at Matters of the Heart Ministry in Milwaukee Wisconsin. I also serve as the Faith-based Coordinator for the Wisconsin African American Tobacco Prevention Network and collaborate with over 50 churches in Southeastern Wisconsin. I’m writing today to express my strong opposition to Senate Bill 211, also known as the Tobacco Bar Bill, in the capacity of a Pastor.
If passed, Senate Bill 211 would allow new cigar bars to open in Wisconsin.
Two topics I’d like to expand on— the impact of Senate Bill 211 on Black Health and the impact of Senate Bill 211 on Wisconsin’s Smoke-free Indoor Air Law on all Wisconsin residents.
Impact of SB 211 on Black Health
I have seen the devastation that tobacco and alcohol has caused in our communities. According to the 2022 Wisconsin Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, the Black adult smoking prevalence rate in Wisconsin is 20.2%. This rate is nearly three times higher than the 13.7% rate for non-Hispanic White adults and represents the widest between Black and White adult smoking rate in the United States.
Black adults who smoke are more likely to develop and die from a variety of tobacco-caused diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and cancers, than White adults who smoke.
According to the American Lung Association, Black men in Wisconsin have the highest lung cancer rates in the United States. They also have the worse survival rates. Black women in Wisconsin have the second-highest lung cancer rate in the nation.
While policymakers have expressed concerns about the state of mental health for Black men, nicotine is not the answer. Quitting smoking, in contrast to those who continued, reported improved well-being, less stress and improved relationships. (Annals of Behavioral Medicine)
Quitting smoking is associated with reduced depression, anxiety, and stress and improved positive mood and quality of life compared with continuing to smoke. (British Medical Journal)
Impact of SB 211 on WI’s Smoke-free air law on all Wisconsinites
An estimated 7,215 people die annually from illnesses directly related to smoking in Wisconsin. For 15 years, Wisconsin’s smoke-free air law has prohibited smoking in indoor public places and protected workers and customers. Senate Bill 211 would undermine the law, create confusion and put people at risk of serious health issues. Now is not the time to open pandora’s box and expose our residents to toxic and deadly smoke.
An estimated 840 Wisconsin residents die each year from secondhand smoke. Smoke from a cigarette or cigar can stay in a room for hours. Using ventilation does not get rid of secondhand smoke.
This smoke can also impact neighboring businesses and buildings. Exposure to secondhand smoke can be deadly. Secondhand smoke can cause lung cancer, irritate the eyes and throat, and lead to lung irritation, coughing, and a higher risk of heart problems. People who have quit smoking may be triggered to a relapse from being exposed to tobacco.
According to the Surgeon General, there is no safe amount of secondhand smoke, and for 15 years, Wisconsin residents have enjoyed the protections of our smoke-free law.
Individuals who work at Wisconsin’s taverns do so expecting a smoke free work environment. If establishments become cigar bars, those employers will force workers to choose between their health and a pay check. Employees may need to leave their employer and embark on a job search during these uncertain times.
Customers who frequent taverns will be in a position where they must stop visiting their favorite place to protect their health.
With public health funding facing cuts at the national level, it’s critical to keep best practice health policies like the smoke-free air law in place to sustain progress made in reducing the impact of tobacco products on Wisconsin.
By chipping away at the protections provided through the smoke-free air law, we risk re- normalizing smoking. Exposing our youth to a perceived “acceptable smoking culture” sends the wrong message and endangers the progress we’ve made in reducing youth tobacco use this last decade and a half. Smoking among youth has decreased significantly since the law’s passage.
For these and other reasons wholeheartedly oppose Senate Bill 211. I hope our state leaders do so as well.