Smoking ban sought by group

Corpus Christi Caller Times ^ | Monday, November 13, 2000 | Stephanie L. Jordan

[Just another Joe]

Monday, November 13, 2000

Smoking ban sought by group

Smoke-free eateries are coalition's goal

By Stephanie L. Jordan
Caller-Times

--> A group of residents is seeking a city ordinance to clear the smoke out of all Corpus Christi restaurants.
   Citizens for a Smoke Free Community Coalition, a group that formed a month ago, will go before the Food Service Advisory Board, an arm of the Nueces County Public Health District, to argue for a ban on smoking in restaurants. The meeting will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at 1702 Horne Road.
   The health department must make a recommendation before the city can consider an ordinance that would eliminate smoking in restaurants, said Chris Large, one of the residents spearheading the campaign.
   "Second-hand smoke is every bit as dangerous as first-hand," said Large, a volunteer with the American Cancer Society.
   The city has an ordinance in place in which restaurants are allowed to dedicate 30 percent of the dining area to smoking and the remaining 70 percent to non-smokers' seating, said City Councilman Henry Garrett.
   Over the years, the city gradually has limited the size of smoking areas in restaurants. When the original smoking ordinance was drafted, the ratio had to be at least 50 percent non-smoking. The required non-smoking section increased to 65 percent in 1994 and then to 70 percent in 1995, said Corpus Christi City Attorney Jimmy Bray.
   The ratio changes for restaurants with large bars, Garrett said.
   "When I go out to eat I really don't like to be near cigarette smoke," Garrett said. "But there are many issues to consider if we decide to draft an ordinance like this."
   To gauge the effect such an ordinance may have on restaurant business, Large said a questionnaire was sent to 1,800 residents on a random basis to ask them if they would stop going out to dinner if restaurants didn't allow smoking. Of the 400 responses returned, fewer than a dozen said they would discontinue eating out if restaurants abolished smoking, she said.
   In 1993, the City Council rejected a proposed smoking ban in restaurants after restaurateurs and the tobacco industry fought it, saying that a ban would ruin the tourist industry.
   Then-Mayor Mary Rhodes fought for the ban, and said the council's compromise to increase non-smoking seating in restaurants did nothing to protect diners from secondhand smoke. Before her death in June 1997, Rhodes said the defeat of the ban was one of her regrets.
   What is of concern to Large, whose husband died of lung cancer caused by cigarette smoking, is the effects of second-hand smoke. She's seen the negative impact in her own home.
   "All of my (three) children have respiratory problems and allergies because they grew up in a household where someone smoked," Large said. "My daughter gets chest colds really easily because of that."
   Large said that the coalition isn't campaigning to include bars in the ordinance.
   Currently, including individual fast-food outlets, there are 224 Corpus Christi restaurants that voluntarily don't allow smoking in their facilities, Large said.
   And at least one downtown restaurant doesn't think such an ordinance will hurt business.
   "I think the customers who come in here are here for the food," said Paul Gonzalez, manager of Water Street Seafood Co. "There are plenty of restaurants in Corpus Christi that are (non-smoking) and they do fine. As a smoker it's not any big deal to me to go to a restaurant that doesn't allow smoking."
  

[Just another Joe]

Here we go again in Corpus Christi.

[Rodney King]

"Second-hand smoke is every bit as dangerous as first-hand," said Large, a volunteer with the American Cancer Society.

An absolutley stupid statement. Leaving aside the studies which show that it is not - it is just common sense. How could breathing in dispersed smoke possibly be as bad as directly breathing in that same smoke when it is concentrated?

[Just another Joe]

Now, for some things that stand out.

Citizens for a Smoke Free Community Coalition
Notice that they already have what their name says, a coalition. There name does not say "Citizens for a Smoke Free Community"

"Second-hand smoke is every bit as dangerous as first-hand," said Large, a volunteer with the American Cancer Society.
How can they LIE like this and STILL get away with it?

Over the years, the city gradually has limited the size of smoking areas in restaurants. When the original smoking ordinance was drafted, the ratio had to be at least 50 percent non-smoking. The required non-smoking section increased to 65 percent in 1994 and then to 70 percent in 1995, said Corpus Christi City Attorney Jimmy Bray.
Here is how they do it. A little at a time. The boiling frog method.

"All of my (three) children have respiratory problems and allergies because they grew up in a household where someone smoked," Large said. "My daughter gets chest colds really easily because of that."
Again, this is anecdotal evedence.

Currently, including individual fast-food outlets, there are 224 Corpus Christi restaurants that voluntarily don't allow smoking in their facilities, Large said.
These people already have 224 smoke free places to go and eat. All they want is ALL eateries to be smoke free.

We see it every day, the antis WILL NOT COMPROMISE. They want it their way and ALL their way.

[lormand]

Why don't the anti-smoking nazi's just declare that they want tobacco outlawed? Instead, they want a political issue and a source of revenue for blood sucking lawyers. Typically liberal!

[Just another Joe]

Good questions, all.
Now if we could just get truthful answers out of the antis.

[Just another Joe]

It's NOT about smoking for them. It's about POWER. The power to control everyones life the way THEY see fit.

[Captain Kirk]

Nah....they will outlaw it eventually. They are pushing toward that goal through baby steps.

[mlocher]

all of my children have respiratory problems and allergies because they grew up in a household where somebody smoked

let's see, the lady wants a law to keep other people from an environment that she allowed her kids to be in. obviously, she does not have the spine to stand up to people who smoke in her own house, so let's pass a law because of her spinelessness. or perhaps we should take her at face value and put her kids in the state's care and jail her for child endangerment. by her own admission she let them live in a dangerous environment.

[Just another Joe]

Nah....they will outlaw it eventually. They are pushing toward that goal through baby steps.

I really don't think so. There is too much tax money involved to completely outlaw it.
Also, if they outlaw it completely that will bring about a completely black market, and they don't want that.
Think about prohibition.

[Just another Joe]

Hmm, I didn't even think about that.
I wonder what would happen?

[Captain Kirk]

Well...it all depends who is in the driver's seat. The ideologues do want it banned but the lawyers certainly don't. You are probably right in assuming, however, that the lawyers will win out in the end.

[Nick Danger]

How many little groups do you suppose are active in the Corpus Christi area, each one trying to get some law passed or changed? Here's the Citizens for Safer Streets demanding stop signs at every intersection. There's the Downtown Business Association, demanding an end to bums sleeping in their doorways. The Womens Christian Temperance Union is still out there, trying to get the liquor stores closed down.

All of them are trying to get stories like this published in the newspaper. They call, they write, they show up with flowers. Nothing works.

Now comes the Politically Correct Cause du Jour, and suddenly the newspaper is very interested in local activism. Why, they can't tell the public enough about these fine folks. Mullah Large has arrived to declare jihad against restaurants that allow smoking. Not some restaurants, not half or three quarters of the restaurants, but every restaurant in the city must be made smoke-free at once. It is the will of Allah that this be done. No one should smoke, anywhere.

Once that has been accomplished, we can do something about the music and the televisions.

[SheLion]

Hi Joe! Hi Everyone! Well, after much computer problems last week, and reformatting and losing many emails and bookmarks.....I'm back.

Another little petty anti group in Corpus. Go figure. Such a beautiful resort to want to shut out tourist with money, of which, many tourist smoke. Pity.

We just got the ban thrown out in Hawaii, wonder if we can help them in Corpus?

[Just another Joe]

We just got the ban thrown out in Hawaii, wonder if we can help them in Corpus?

We did try before. I'll see if I can find the link to the thread with e-mails on it.

[SheLion]

That would be great. I am looking, also.

[maxwell]

Whoa-doggies... And I thought them Texans had more sense...

[Dan from Michigan]

Don't like the smoke, then take your business elsewhere. The nanny state should go to hell.

[Just another Joe]

We just got the ban thrown out in Hawaii, wonder if we can help them in Corpus?

We did try before. I'll see if I can find the link to the thread with e-mails on it.

Max, do you have a link to the FR thread that had the e-mail addies for the city council in Corpus Christi?
I can't find it in any of ny smoking thread links.

[Protagoras]

These people already have 224 smoke free places to go and eat. All they want is ALL eateries to be smoke free.

The question is about property rights and has nothing whatever to do with smoking.

[Protagoras]

Why don't the anti-smoking nazi's just declare that they want tobacco outlawed? Instead, they want a political issue and a source of revenue for blood sucking lawyers. Typically liberal!

If you have been on these smoking threads very much you will understand that many, many "conservatives" are just as committed to the anti-smoking (anti property rights) crusade as liberals.