More than 70 percent of Kentuckians are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke, but a local restaurant franchise has taken steps to protect its customers by making local restaurants 100 percent smoke-free.
Eleven Waffle House locations in Kentucky, including nine in Northern Kentucky, went smoke-free starting May 1.
Shearer Foods, franchisee for Waffle House in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, decided to make its Kentucky locations smoke-free for both business and customer services reasons.
"Waffle House has a strong heritage as a family restaurant," said Shelly Morton, Area Administrator for Shearer Foods. "By making our Kentucky locations smoke-free, we hope to be able to attract families who do not want to be exposed to secondhand smoke. Our locations are small, and there was no good way to truly separate the smokers from the non-smokers. "
The Northern Kentucky Waffle House locations include restaurants in Covington, Dry Ridge, Florence (two locations), Hebron, Walton (two locations) and Wilder.
With the addition of the Waffle House locations, more than 360 Northern Kentucky restaurants are 100 percent smoke-free.
"We feel that it's important for us to recognize business owners who see the benefits of protecting the health of their workers and customers by reducing their exposure to secondhand smoke," said Steven R. Katkowsky, M.D., District Director of Health. "Research indicates the servers in restaurants are more at risk of the harmful effects of secondhand smoke, such as increased risk of lung cancer and heart disease, because they have a greater exposure when patrons are allowed to smoke."
For a list of 100 percent smoke-free restaurants in Boone, Campbell, Grant and Kenton counties, or for more information on secondhand smoke, visit http://www.nkyhealth.org.
