Agenda Item # 3.2 - Margo Sidener | Received 05/16/2022[Type here]
Breathe California
of the Bay Area,
Golden Gate, and
Central Coast
1469 Park Avenue
San Jose, CA 95126
Phone: (408) 998-5865
Toll-Free: 1-877-3-BREATHE
Fax: (408) 998-0578
www.lungsrus.org
info@lungsrus.org
Tax ID#: 94-1156307
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chairperson
Amresh Prasad
Secretary
Sulochina Lulla, MD
Treasurer
Justin Henry
Directors
Roslyn Bienenstock, RRT,
MPH
Joann Blessing-Moore, MD
Robert Carr
Thomas M. Dailey, MD,
FCCP
Frank DeBiaso
Sogol Karkouti
Ray Mendoza
Rohan Shamapant
Richard Steadman
Chief Executive Officer
Margo Sidener, MS, CHES
Deputy Executive Director
Tanya Payyappilly, MD,
MPH
A member of the
Breathe America ™
Alliance
May 16, 2022
The Honorable Mayor Marie Blankley
And City Council Members Tovar, Armendariz,
Bracco, Hilton, Leroe-Munoz, and Marques
City of Gilroy, Gilroy City Hall
7351 Rosanna Street
Gilroy, CA 95020
Sent by e-mail: shawna.freels@cityofgilroy.org; rebeca.armendariz@cityofgilroy.org;
marie.blankley@ci.gilroy.ca.us;
dion.bracco@cityofgilroy.org; zachary.hilton@cityofgilroy.org;
peter.leroe-munoz@cityofgilroy.org; carol.marques@cityofgilroy.org;
and fred.tovar@cityofgilroy.org.
Dear Mayor and Council Members:
I am writing to urge the Council to strengthen its ordinance that protects Gilroy
residents from secondhand smoke.
In addition to recently adopting smoke-free parks, Gilroy has many options to
strengthen policy. All the following are best-practice policies that we recommend,
which are being implemented in hundreds of cities, including many in Santa Clara
County:
1) Outdoor Dining Areas (Gilroy currently only covers 50% of these areas.)
2) Entryways and Service Areas of all public buildings and services
3) Multi-Unit Housing
4) Public Events
Since the US Surgeon General declared in 2006 that there was no safe level of
secondhand smoke, which had already been declared a toxic contaminant and human
carcinogen, governments have acted to ban smoking in more outdoor areas. These
have generally been done with little involvement of enforcement personnel, relying
instead on adequate signage, education, and reminders.
Children, seniors, and populations with health and social inequity are the most
exposed to secondhand smoke, especially in multi-unit housing. Please strengthen
your smoke-free laws to protect these groups that are already overburdened with
health disparities.
We look forward to assisting you as requested,
Margo Sidener, MS, CHES
Chief Executive Officer