Eerste gaatjes in rookverbod New York
Afgelopen week zijn de eerste twee uitzonderingen toegestaan op het algehele verbod op roken op de werkplek in de staat New York.
De uitzonderingen (‘waivers‘) werden aan twee totaal verschillende organisaties toegekend: een sigarenfabriek (vanwege economische schade) en aan een psychiatrische inrichting. Nog 12 andere organisaties in de stad Albany hebben verzoeken ingediend. Op een uitspraak daarover wordt nog gewacht.
ALBANY – The city Health Department has granted two waivers to the tough smoking ban, officials said yesterday.
Smoking is now legal for patients in the psychiatric ward of Staten Island University Hospital and people at the General Cigar Co. in Manhattan.
The two were among 14 businesses that have applied for waivers. The fate of the other 12 requests wasn’t clear last night.
City Health Department spokeswoman Sandra Mullin said General Cigar Co., which manufactures cigars, had sought a waiver on the grounds of economic hardship.
A waiver was granted to the Staten Island hospital on the grounds that compliance is unreasonable, a state official said.
On Aug. 20, the state gave the city the power to grant waivers to a very limited number of businesses and other places that could prove the statewide smoking ban had caused economic hardship or that compliance was unreasonable.
Statewide, hundreds of bars and other businesses have sought waivers to allow smoking, but only five have been granted.
Bron: New York Post
