Ottawa South pub decides to go smoke -free
Posted Jan 26, 2012 By Eddie Rwema
Click to Enlarge
EMC News - Toni Najem has more reason than most to support the creation of more smoke-free outdoor patios.
Eddie Rwema, Ottawa South EMC
Toni Najim, president of Firkin group of Pubs in the Ottawa area nearly lost his life in 1999 due to second-hand smoking. He has since been advised by doctors to avoid smoking areas.
Najem, president of Firkin group of Pubs in the Ottawa area said he almost lost his life in 1999 due to second-hand smoking.
His pub in Ottawa South is one of the few ones in the city that have made their patios smoke free.
"Second-hand smoking affected my healthy and I almost died from it. I became heavily asthmatic because of second hand smoking," said Najem.
While on his death bed at the general hospital, Najem was warned by doctors never to enter any smoking place.
"I have to always be in a smoke free environment," he said.
Although he grew up in a family where everybody smoked, Najem has never smoked.
"I chose willingly not to be a smoke so why should I inhale someone else's cigarette? That is not right," he said.
Making his pubs smoke free is not a snap decision but Najem doesn't regret that.
He said when they decided to go smoke free everybody thought it was going to kill their business.
"People don't come to smoke. They come to enjoy the ambiance, service and the quality of the product that you serve," he said.
"If you deliver on the three, you should be more than fine, and your business will survive whether you are smoking or not."
According to a city press release, being exposed to second-hand smoke on a patio outdoors can result in similar levels of exposure to smoke as spending the same amount of time in a smoky tavern.
It added that the dangers of second-hand smoke, even outdoors, cannot be ignored.
"I don't want to have to sit in a room full of smoke especially when I am trying to enjoy my food or a beer," said Najem.
He however admits that going smoke-free hasn't been all that easy.
"Some people who wanted smoking have come and complained and threatened never to return. "To me there are more non smokers than there are smokers," said Najem.
"I have made them to understand that the patio is not just for them but for everyone."
An Ipsos Reid poll conducted in August on behalf of the city found that 73 per cent of Ottawa residents want smoke-free outdoor patios.
The Ottawa Public Health has been encouraging more bars and restaurants to follow suit by going smoke-free.
"When I applied to open up this business, the city asked me if I would make it a non smoking and promised to promote me," said Najem.
He said his pub has been advertised on the city's website as one of the non smoking places to go to.
"It is a very good incentive. I think the city is doing a great job promoting places that don't smoke, since there are lots of people looking for places like that," said Najem.
Second-hand smoke is what smokers exhale from lit cigarette.
It contains more than 4,000 chemicals, 69 of which are known to cause cancer. Mayor Jim Watson declared Jan. 15 to 21 as National Non-Smoking Week in Ottawa highlighting the help that is available to help residents stop smoking.
Eddie.rwema@metroland.com
blog comments powered by Disqus
