MASFA.org

We’ve been looking forward to the day this website would become obsolete! (And it is today, no thanks to the Legislature collectively, although certain individuals rock! You know who you are. The rest of you can smoke it. Just not inside :) ) If anyone somewhere else wants to use the domain, just email us.

Legislative History in Washington State
2005: Washington State HB 1714 & SB 5592, legislation banning indoor public smoking. However progress is apparently stalled for the year. Seattle Times article
The bills introduced in 2004 and earlier to ban indoor public smoking did not reach a final vote. 2004 smoke related bills
The proposed initiative I-890 did not make it to the ballot in 2004. Breath Easy Washington

About MASFA
MASFA is an advocacy organization founded in 2001 in Washington state. Our goal is to bring clean air to all musicians' lungs. I'll bet there's a famous band right now about which you could say, "I saw them play the 'X' before they were big." And this 'X' was likely a smoky bar. Truth is, many or most venues available to bands just starting out, and "has beens" (although that's a cruel term for some classic groups), are smoky places.

I've heard many musicians state that they hated the smoke, but it was a place to play, and they needed to play... It's a sad story when your workplace is filled with smoke against your will. But hey, isn't smoking in the workplace illegal in Washington (and maybe all states)? Then what's up with this? As musicians and sound engineers, we need to make everyone aware that we are just like any other worker trying to find a comfortable place to do our job.

According to a new comprehensive study commissioned by the United Nations (see link to Seattle Times article under NEWS, above), there is definitive evidence that secondhand smoke causes lung cancer. Please contact your state representatives and ask for their help. Eventually, I think states will end up getting sued for failure to protect the public health if the legislatures do not act.

Check out thetruth.com. Did you know Moby was featured there (with an interview, video, etc.)? And have you seen the TV ads? Like the one with the lady smoking out of a hole in her neck. How pitiful. How does our government get away with making us breathe smoke to do our jobs? I wonder what would happen if you called OSHA and complained about a toxic substance in the air every time you played or attended a show at a smoky place? Might wake them up, wouldn't it? Don't be fooled, folks, we live with the same basic government that let Hanford area residents get exposed to nuclear radiation. This isn't an insult, it's just a fact: they won't necessarily do what's right unless we hold them accountable! Exercise your right to speak your mind!

Please write us at masfa@masfa.org and pledge your support! Occasionally we send out information on things you can do to make a difference in your world.
(Privacy statement: Rest assured that your personal information, e-mail address, etc., won't be given to others, including others on the mail list, but could be shared with elected officials, since we lobby our lawmakers and government agencies.)