Don't weaken laws on secondhand smoke

It's an outrage that a House committee recently voted to exempt certain establishments from the state's smoke-free air law. This is one of the most popular and lifesaving laws in our state, and removing its protections puts lives at risk.

Every year, thousands of nonsmokers die from cancers and illnesses caused by secondhand smoke. The surgeon general has said time and time again that there's no safe level of exposure to this toxin.

So, why are we weakening laws to protect Illinoisans? When the General Assembly overwhelmingly approved the statewide smoke-free air law eight years ago, we all knew about the deadly effects of secondhand smoke. None of that has changed, but unfortunately, it seems some lawmakers have. Sen. Link and Rep. Mayfield, please vote no on any exemptions to this law.

Maggie Powell

Waukegan