Editor, Times-Union: With it being Labor Day weekend I wanted to bring to everyone’s attention that this is a national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country. This includes their health. Businesses lose money through health insurance costs and productivity when they do not have a smoke-free policy in place. According to the Center for Disease Control, the average healthcare cost is $8,680 per capita and that the average smoker spends $3,300 on top of that amount. In addition, if a person who smokes is spending a minimum of one hour a day smoking, it is about 10 days of work lost per year! Only 22 percent of Kosciusko County residents smoke. Both smokers and non-smokers work alongside each other every day in places that are exempt from the state law to make the community a better place and to provide for their families. Without having a comprehensive smoking ordinance in place for Kosciusko County, many of these workers are subjected to the harmful effects of secondhand smoke and can even miss work because of it. No worker in Kosciusko County should have to decide whether they should risk their health just to put food on the table. I encourage everyone to reach out to not only your employers who allows smoking but your council members, friends and family to encourage a smoke-free work place and make Kosciusko County a better healthier place to live. Dan Gray Warsaw
