Posted on 10/28/2005 10:51:57 AM PDT by SheLion
As citizens Thursday night continued to debate a possible smoking ban in Springfield, the executive director of the Illinois Licensed Beverage Association threatened to sue the city if it prohibits smoking in taverns and bowling alleys.
Opponents of a ban also attacked the idea that scientific studies show that secondhand smoke is harmful to those who inhale it.
Supporters cited reports by the U.S. surgeon general and numerous medical groups that secondhand smoke is a cause of disease, including lung cancer, in nonsmokers. They argued the issue is more about the health of patrons and workers than economics.
A proposed ordinance would ban smoking in all indoor workplaces, including bars, restaurants and bowling alleys. Exceptions would be made for hotel rooms, nursing home rooms where all residents agree to have smoking and private homes.
More than 50 people had spoken about the ban as a second public hearing on the matter stretched into its fifth hour late Thursday. The tone of the debate was less polite than during the first hearing as aldermen squabbled over the format, the length speakers could talk and the fact that no ordinance has actually been introduced.
One speaker accused the ordinance's champion on council, Ward 10 Ald. Bruce Strom, of bringing back McCarthyism.
At least 145 people packed the Springfield City Council chamber at the beginning of the hearing, while at least 30 sat in the lobby of Municipal Center West watching the discussion on television.
Opponents of a ban came out in larger numbers than at last week's public hearing, although one ban supporter accused bar owners of packing the place with their workers. Bar owners have argued a ban will cause them to lose business, and they'll have to lay off workers.
Steve Riedl, executive director of the licensed beverage association, resurrected an argument first brought up by Mayor Tim Davlin's legal department.
He argued that the city cannot ban smoking because state legislators did not modify the definition of "public place" in the law they passed allowing cities to regulate smoking.
"We would have no choice but to file suit against the city," Riedl said.
But the legislators and lobbyists who wrote the law, which was signed by Gov. Rod Blagojevich in August, have said such an interpretation is incorrect.
State Sen. John Cullerton, D-Chicago, who is a lawyer and sponsor of the law, said the original Illinois Clean Indoor Air Act did exclude bars and bowling alleys from its definition of a public place, but that doesn't mean cities cannot regulate smoking within them.
"They could have always been regulated. It was our intention to have an expansion of the ability of local governments to consider regulating smoking, and that's the result of the bill as well as the law as it has existed," Cullerton told The State Journal-Register in August.
Riedl also disputed that secondhand smoke is unhealthy enough to warrant a ban.
"No one knows what the health hazards are," he said. "The science is not there to jeopardize hundreds of small family businesses."
Riedl also complained that bar owners downtown had worked with the city council to clean up areas around the bars. Sending smokers outside will reverse progress made, he argued.
Michael Manning, whose vocal cords are paralyzed, argued for a smoking ban because many smokers do not respect what he views as his need to breathe clean air.
"Do I have to sit and breathe in the smoke of people who sit right next to me and smoke after I've asked them not to?" said Manning, who has provided artwork that adorns several Springfield bars. "They refused and continued to blow smoke right in my face."
Manning said he was banned from a bar where his artwork is displayed after he got into an argument with a smoker.
Tom Kelty Jr., the owner of Sammy's Sports Bar downtown, maintained that Peoria, Bloomington and other cities without smoking bans would poach the city's convention business if the ban passed.
"How come nobody's opened a smoke-free bar? It's not profitable," Kelty said.
Smoking-ban proponents also pledged to pursue a ban in Sangamon County if it passes in Springfield. Ward 4 Ald. Chuck Redpath, who said he supports a ban in restaurants but not bars, has said neighborhood taverns could close because of patrons simply leaving the city limits to drink at places at which they can smoke. Ward 8 Ald. Irv Smith also has called for such a ban.
Davlin, Ward 1 Ald. Frank Edwards, Ward 2 Ald. Frank McNeil, Redpath, Ward 6 Ald. Mark Mahoney, Ward 7 Ald. Judy Yeager, Smith, Ward 9 Ald. Tom Selinger and Strom attended Thursday's hearing.
Strom has not yet indicated when he'll introduce the ordinance.
Chris Wetterich can be reached at 788-1523 or chris.wetterich@sj-r.com.
"As citizens Thursday night continued to debate a possible smoking ban in Springfield, the executive director of the Illinois Licensed Beverage Association threatened to sue the city if it prohibits smoking in taverns and bowling alleys."
Mixed feelings... I don't take my family because of the smoke.
And I live at the junction of three counties, two of which ban smoking in restaurants - I avoid the third county for dining.
Now if I go to a bar where children are not allowed, I have no problem with smoking - the people there are voluntarily accepting the cancer risk and are all adults. But I do go to bars a lot less.
Ummmm I'm pretty sure this article is about the smoking ban in Springfield, Illinois, not Chicago...
A bar is a place one goes to get away from freakin' kids! I wouldn't be caught dead in a gin mill that allowed underage little people in the door.
Of course now that Maine has banned smoking in all bars and taverns, I don't go out anymore any way.
The speaker is probably a FReeper. If they had called the Alderman a Nazi I would know for certain that they are a FReeper.
"Opponents of a ban came out in larger numbers than at last week's public hearing, although one ban supporter accused bar owners of packing the place with their workers."
These workers are just to stoooopid to understand that the ban proponents are just doing what is best for them. Quit complaining and just let mommy and daddy gov't. take care of you!
"So you do take your kids to non-smoking bars? Tight family, eh?
A bar is a place one goes to get away from freakin' kids! I wouldn't be caught dead in a gin mill that allowed underage little people in the door."
Umm no, that was kind of my point -that bars are different because its an all adult environment.
Although in my case I started going to a bar in Atlanta called the Stein Club to play chess when I was abut 12. I never tried to buy alcohol and they never complained.
It's good to see the Windy City of Wide Shoulders putting up, IMO, a solid rearguard action against the NinnnyNanny Statists and the American Taliban.
Good for them.
You and me will laugh when PETA starts making traction with their "corpse food" angle.
First, they came for the smokers.
And I won't care when they come for cellfones, frenchfries and creme broulee!
Here's a clue, you terminal narcissist: Don't go there.
(DUOH - I promised myself not to do this anymore.)
The WHO says ETS (second-hand-smoke) has a prophylactic effect - it prevents cancer.
Who ar you, to contradict the UN?
" The WHO says ETS (second-hand-smoke) has a prophylactic effect - it prevents cancer."
Got a link handy? I have not seen that.
www.forces.org
Although in my case I started going to a bar in Atlanta called the Stein Club to play chess when I was abut 12. I never tried to buy alcohol and they never complained.
Well I started drinking in bars when I was 15, 6' tall and had to shave every other day. I never got carded until I was 31 and then I was quite flattered.
Of course I wasn't there to play chess, I was there to drink, smoke and chase de wimmens!
"Of course I wasn't there to play chess, I was there to drink, smoke and chase de wimmens!"
I was a late bloomer... :)
Thank you .. I'll read up on that.
At least you have a choice. You can go out and enjoy yourself at a place of your choice. Here in Maine, smokers have no choice. The lawmakers banned smoking in every private restaurant and bar we have. I am saving a lot of money by not going out, but I sure miss it.
That slipped right over my head about gondramB taking kids to a bar. heh!
But at least gondramB has a choice of where to go.........we in Maine do not have that choice anymore. Pity.
That's what "I" was thinking. The idiot was just trying to cause trouble. Sitting in a bar no less, bitching about cigarette smoke. LOL! Too funny!
More and more, I do appreciate having NH as a safety valve; Exit 1, Seabrook/Kingston last exit before tolls.....
BWB Grill.
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