Statement of Michael “Tac” Tacelosky, Smokefree DC Co-founder Sept. 17, 2003 My name is Michael Tacelosky, and I have lived in DC since 1995. I moved here from California, just as a smokefree restaurant law was about to go into effect there. My biggest disappointment in moving here was that we had just won the right to breathe clean air in San Diego, and now I had taken a great step backwards in being able to enjoy the rich dining and entertainment that DC offers. When I researched the city code, I was amazed at how little the DC law did to protect non-smokers from the toxins in secondhand smoke. For all practical purposes, the current restaurant law is voluntary, and bars are completely exempt. I began compiling a listing of 100 percent smokefree restaurants and posting them to a Web site, so that other like-minded people could find places to eat without risking their health. Today, that Web site has evolved to include a petition and letter-writing campaign, and more than 1,100 people who have signed on supporting 100 percent smokefree workplaces in DC. While my initial interest in a smokefree laws was for my own comfort and health, I realized that my concerns were small compared to the employees that worked in these establishments, often without health insurance and below minimum wage. We don’t allow workers to be exposed to known carcinogens in any other workplace – even if the owner discloses it, even if the employees say they don't mind, and even if it would be cheaper for the employer to provide a less safe environment. I can’t wait for the day that DC joins the ranks of other great places in the United States that have banned smoking in bars and restaurants – including New York, California, Boston and Delaware. We in DC deserve the same. ### Michael Tacelosky, 40, is a Dupont Circle resident, and has been using his computer technology skills to fight Big Tobacco since 1990. He manages several Web sites, including www.smokefreedc.org.