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Festus to hold public hearing on smoking ban
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
12/22/2009
A survey shows Festus residents support a ban on smoking in workplaces including restaurant and bars, a statement by the Jefferson County Health Department said today.
Councilman Sam Richards, 4th Ward, on Dec. 16 proposed that the city council should ask voters to consider imposing a smoking ban similar to the one St. Louis County voters have approved.
The city plans to hold a public hearing on the issue, but has not set a date, City Clerk Kerry Patek said. Officials have not done anything to prepare a bill about a ban, she said.
The St. Louis County ban prohibits smoking in enclosed places of employment and enclosed public places with exceptions. It exempts private residences as long as they do not contain child or adult day-care facilities, and allows smoking in 20 percent of the rooms in hotels and motels.
The county ban exempts bars that derive 25 percent or less of their income from food or other nonliquor items. The ban exempts private clubs and tobacco stores that are not part of larger stores.
The city council discussed the smoking issue at a work session on Dec. 16. Minutes of the session said quoted Richards as saying he is proposing the ban because second-hand smoke can affect people’s health. He noted that 5 of 16 restaurants in Festus allow smoking.
Councilmen Paul Schaffer, 1st Ward, and George Vogt, 2nd Ward, said business owners should make their own decision about smoking, the minutes said.
Cory Koch, general manager of the Tanglefoot Steak House, said many of his customers smoke. Each individual should decide whether they should be a customer of his establishment, the minutes said.
The health department in October had a survey that reached 2,800 Festus households inserted in the Jefferson County Leader, a local weekly newspaper. The department said it received 240 responses.
The results showed that 72 percent of the respondents strongly support smoke-free workplaces, the health department said. The results said 85 percent of the respondents would dine out the same or more if the city adopted a smoke-free ordinance, the department said.
An $500 grant from the Missouri Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse paid for the survey.
Arnold is the only city in Jefferson County with a smoking ban. Ballwin also has a ban. A ban in Clayton is in effect for new businesses and will apply to existing ones on July 1.
A smoking ban in Kirkwood would take effect on Jan. 2. Smoking bans in St. Louis and St. Louis County will begin on Jan. 2, 2011.
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