San Rafael's outdoor smoking rules applauded

As the former chief of general surgery at MarinHealth Medical Center and past president of the San Francisco Marin Medical Society, I would like to thank the San Rafael City Council for banning smoking in open spaces and adopting new rules for smoking outside multifamily housing complexes (“San Rafael bans smoking yearround in open space,” May 4).

Cigarette smoking is one of the leading causes of wildland, home and workplace fires. It has caused approximately 30% of all fire-related deaths in America. San Rafael's action will also reduce exposure to secondhand smoke. It moves our state one step closer to achieving the California Tobacco Endgame Center for Organizing and Engagement's goal of eliminating tobacco-related health disparities by 2035.

— Dr. John Maa, San Francisco