Tobacco Free Amarillo

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 2, 2002

Contact: Mary Coyne, 374-5333

Tobacco Free Amarillo To Sponsor Smoke-Free Restaurant Week

Tobacco Free Amarillo will sponsor "Smoke-Free Restaurant Week" April 14 through 20 to demonstrate to patrons, as well as restaurant owners and managers, the benefits of the smokeless dining experience, according to Michelle Weddington, chairman of the Restaurant Committee for Tobacco Free Amarillo.

"When restaurants have smoke-free policies, it doesn't hurt their business and sometimes it boosts business," Weddington said. "Sales tax research conducted by the University of California, Cornell University, the Claremont Institute and others bears this out."

Weddington also cited the statistic that secondhand smoke causes the deaths of 53,000 non-smoking Americans each year due to cancer, heart and lung disease.

Restaurants that participate in the Smoke-Free Restaurant Week will be recognized by Tobacco Free Amarillo if they fit the following criteria:

• The inside area of the entire restaurant must be 100 percent smoke-free at all times.
• Restaurants that allow smoking outside will be recognized, as long as the inside is 100 percent smoke-free.
• Restaurants with an adjoining bar where smoking is permitted will not be recognized, unless the bar is completely separate from the dining area with separate ventilation.
• Carryout restaurants without seating areas will not be recognized and the restaurant must serve meals (ice cream parlors do not qualify.)

Currently, the following Amarillo restaurants are smoke-free: Air Host, All the Fixins, Amarillo's Incredible Pizza Co., Arby's, Braum's, Buns over Texas, Burger King, Calico County, Canadian River Restaurant, Cattle Call, Cattle Call Express, Chick-Fil-A, Chiyo's, Church's Chicken, CiCi,'s Pizza, Dairy Queen, Divine Grind, D.J.'s Burgers, Domani, Eat Rite, Fazzoli's, Frullati Cafe, Hattie's, Hoagie's Deli, Jackson Square Fountain & Grill, Japanese Steak House, Jason's Deli and Jeff's Grand Burger.

Other smoke-free Amarillo restaurants include: Kitchen Express, La Milpa Tortilla Shop, Lone Star Burgers, Macaroni Joe's, Mandarin Restaurant, McDonald's, Mexican Lindo Restaurant, My Thai, Ofelia's, Orient Cuisine, Orient Express, Scott's Oyster Bar, Popeye's, Potato Factory, Restaurant Los Hermanos Ramirez, Roosters, Rosa's Pizzas, Schlotzsky's, Subway, Taco Bell, Taco Cabana, Tacos & Pizza Express, The Shack, Tortilleria Lupita, Wendy's and Whataburger.

Tobacco Free Amarillo is a comprehensive tobacco prevention and cessation program funded by the Amarillo Hospital District from tobacco settlement money. Activities involving the community, schools, media, cessation, law enforcement and evaluation are carried out by about 30 partner organizations. For more information, visit the Tobacco Free Amarillo Web site at TFreeAmarillo.com or call Alonzo Peterson, project director, at (806) 353-7435.

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