ALBANY, N.Y.—A bill proposed by state lawmaker Ken Zebrowski (A08371) would ban smoking rooms within lodging establishments in New York. Zebrowski announced the legislation during a press event last week at the Crowne Plaza in Suffern—Mahwah, N.Y. He was joined by the general manager of the Crowne Plaza as well as by a representative of the American Lung Assn. The American Lung Assn., POW’R Against Tobacco, American Cancer Society and the American Heart Assn. have all expressed support of the legislation.
Zebrowski told Green Lodging News that he was inspired to act because of his own experiences staying at hotels in New York.
“I travel to Albany and mainly stay in hotels,” he says. “If I were placed anywhere near a smoking room I would start to smell smoke. When someone was smoking below me it was like someone was smoking in my room. It occurred to me that hotel staff was aware of this but could not do anything about it. It was subjecting nonsmokers to second-hand and third-hand smoke. I think hotels are the types of enclosed environments where we need to protect people from the behavior of others.”
Smokers Do Not Like Smoking Rooms
Zebrowski says even the vast majority of smokers have told him they prefer to stay in nonsmoking rooms. A number of major hotel brands have eliminated smoking in their U.S. properties. Choice Hotels International just announced that its Comfort Inn hotels will eliminate smoking beginning next July. States including Michigan, North Dakota, Vermont and Wisconsin already have banned smoking in hotel rooms.
Zebrowski says he is currently in the process of looking for a senate sponsor. “We are starting to talk to colleagues in the Assembly. Our session starts in January. “[The bill] will have to go through the Health Committee.”
Jan Marie Chesterton, IOM, President of the New York State Hospitality & Tourism Assn., told Green Lodging News that her association just surveyed approximately 1,000 of its members about smoking rooms. More than 100 responded to the survey. Ninety-five percent of those who responded said their properties are already smoke free. Because the industry has come so far already, Chesterton says Zebrowski’s bill would not have much of an impact.
“This may be something the industry is taking care of itself,” Chesterton says.
Chesterton stopped short of endorsing the bill, saying, “There is always the risk of overregulating.” She added, however, that the New York State Hospitality & Tourism Assn. would like to work with Zebrowski. “We are actually not on opposite sides of the fence,” she added.
A call to a representative of the Hotel Association of New York City was not returned.
Glenn Hasek can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
