Blue Cross of Idaho, Gold's Gym endorse Smokefree Boise 

Idaho’s largest insurer and the biggest co-ed gym chain in the world are the latest supporters of an effort to ban smoking from Boise bars.

Blue Cross of Idaho, which has 550,000 members, and Gold’s Gym, with more than 600 facilities in 42 states and 30 countries, have endorsed Smokefree Boise, adding to a growing list of high profile healthcare, fitness and business leaders backing the group.

  “It always adds a lot of credibility to our campaign to bring on big names like Blue Cross and Gold’s Gym,” said Smokefree Boise community organizer Katie Whittier. “They’ll give us a lot of momentum to move forward.”

  The local anti-smoking effort boasts more than 20 endorsements, including the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, the Idaho Medical Association, Primary Health and the Ada County Medical Society. Whittier hopes bringing Blue Cross and Gold’s Gym on board will prompt other big players to get involved.

  “It will create a sense of competition,” she said.

  Whittier also hopes it will translate into funding, help with the legislature and media attention – all needed as the group goes forward with the sometimes contentious goal of telling smokers to take it outside. While some bar owners say chasing smokers off their barstools will chase their business away as well, Whittier said there’s support for the ban and it’s growing.  

  “We have quite a few supporters downtown, but there are some people we haven’t even talked to yet,” she said.

 Chief among those downtown supporters is prominent Boise publican Ted Challenger, whose establishments (which admittedly are not smoke-free) include China Blue, Dirty Lil' Roddy's, and Main Street Bistro – all anchor night-spots in Boise’s bar scene. Chad Johnson, owner of The Reef and Legends; Jason Kovac, owner of Tom Grainey's and The Lift; and Dave Krick, owner of Bittercreek and Red Feather, are also vocal fans of Smokefree Boise, and combined, their businesses (several of which allow smoking in some areas after certain times) represent a substantial number of downtown’s most popular watering holes. Smokefree Boise organizers say that kind of support from bar owners, of all people, goes to show that the dangers and impacts of secondhand smoke are becoming major concerns. According to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare 1,500 Idaho adults die each year from smoking, and the habit costs the state $319 million in annual health care costs. According to the World Health Organization, 200,000 people are killed each year by exposure to secondhand smoke at work – accounting for about one in every seven work-related deaths and illnesses. “As a health insurer we understand the dangers of tobacco use,” said Blue Cross spokesman Stewart Johnson. “It makes sense for us to endorse a worthwhile project like Smokefree Boise.” 

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