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Group wants Jefferson City to go smoke free
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
11/8/2009
JEFFERSON CITY -- Earlier this week, voters in several counties across the state voted to go smoke free.
St. Louis County voters approved a smoking ban in restaurants and most other indoor businesses. The City of St. Louis will also go smoke free. And that's good news for one local group who says it's time Jefferson City follows suit.
But not everyone agrees.
Right now, smokers in the Capital City can light up most places, bars and restaurants included.
But that seems to be changing. About 100 establishments have decided to ban smoking and members of Smoke Free Jefferson City hope that list continues to grow.
"There's no safe degree of second-hand smoke,” said Felicia Poettgen, with Smoke Free Jefferson City.
The group's been around a few years now, with the goal of snuffing out smoke in all public buildings.
"In the last couple of years things have changed drastically, across the nation and across the world,” said Poettgen. “So it's time again to talk about Smoke Free Jefferson City."
Back in 2003, Mayor Landwehr vetoed a ban on smoking in the city's restaurants, calling the issue one of fairness.
He's not the only one who feels that way. Several local bar and restaurant owners said they were absolutely not in favor of a ban, saying that it would put them out of business. One bar owner said smokers make up at least 85 percent of his business.
Right now, the Smoke Free group has no plans to start a petition drive to get the measure on any upcoming ballots. Nor does the city council have any immediate plans to take up the issue.
"We haven't had the discussion yet at the council level but I think it's coming,” said council member Carrie Carroll.
Carroll says she's received plenty of calls from those in favor of making sure the Capital City has clean air.
"People are ready. They're wondering why we're not,” said Carroll. “We're the state capitol, so it would be a great example for other communities." |
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