No one should be allowed to smoke during the 2002 Winter Games, members of the Environmental Advisory Committee are recommending to Utah's Olympic organizers.
They passed a resolution Thursday asking the Salt Lake Organizing Committee to declare the 2002 Winter Games smoke-free, just as several previous Olympics have been.Utah law already prohibits smoking in public buildings. According to the SLOC's Bob Hunter, organizers of past Olympic Games have had "various attitudes" toward smoking out-of-doors.
The resolution states that Utah organizers want "a healthy, clean environment for the citizens, visitors and participants" during the 2002 Winter Games.
It also warns that "breathing environmental tobacco smoke is a cause of many illnesses and great public health concern." Utah's anti-smoking law is intended to protect individuals from second-hand smoke.
While such restrictions are becoming common throughout the United States, that's not the case in other countries where smoking continues to be widely accepted.