Are you going to have an opportunity to see the Olympic Trials out in Eugene this Summer? If so, then you may be in a for a treat.

The University of Oregon and the local Olympic organizing committee have pledged to make the trials a tobacco free event, meaning that you shouldn’t have to deal with any second hand smoke anywhere near Hayward Field or the blocks between 15^th and 18^th streets.

Laura Hammond, Public Health Educator in the Tobacco Prevention and Education Program of the Lane County Public Health Department helped to promote the idea of a tobacco-free event. “As a part of the overall state tobacco prevention program, our goals are to reduce youth initiation of tobacco use, support cessation, and eliminate exposure to second-hand smoke. Establishing tobacco-free events actually helps accomplish all three of these goals.”

I think that this is a great idea, which is not too surprising due to my lack of an addiction to nicotine and that I grew up asthmatic. When Maine decided to go smoke-free in restaurants and bars a few years ago, I was against it. Then it happened, and everything improved from the patron’s experience to the employee’s experience to revenues of individual establishments, and I no longer hold onto my outdated opinions there.

Unfortunately, if you do go out for a drink outside of the tobacco free zones, patrons are still able to smoke in bars and certain other establishments in Oregon. That will change come January 1^st of 2009, but for the time being smoking is still allowed.

(Further Reading: Eugene ’08)