Posted on 02/10/2004 4:08:26 AM PST by beaureguard
With nearly half the state Senate signing on as sponsors, a bill being introduced today in the General Assembly seems to put the Peach State on the path to join California, Florida and others in enacting a statewide ban on smoking in restaurants and other public places.
Anti-smoking bills have failed in Georgia since the first attempt in 1995.
But with 25 of the Senate's 56 members as co-sponsors — and with many communities having enacted or contemplating smoking bans — state Sen. Don Thomas (R-Dalton) likes the odds.
"The momentum is going in our direction," said Thomas, a family practice physician.
In the Atlanta area, DeKalb and Gwinnett counties and the cities of Grayson and Loganville have enacted ordinances to limit smoking in public.
While not embracing additional regulations, restaurant industry representatives said a statewide ban would create uniformity and be a practical alternative to local ordinances such as those currently being considered by Douglasville and Snellville.
"These county-by-county, city-by-city smoking bans create terrible inequities," said Ron Wolf, executive director of the Georgia Restaurant Council.
Waffle House recently built three restaurants in Albany, spending more than $1 million, said state Sen. Don Balfour (R-Snellville), who is a vice president of the short-order chain. "Then Albany goes smoke-free and everybody leaves the city to go smoke at the two Huddle Houses outside the city limits."
Smoking in restaurants is banned statewide in California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maine, New York and Utah, said Josh Alpert of Americans for Nonsmokers Rights.
A public smoking ban, proponents say, protects public health.
"There is no such thing as a nonsmoking section in a restaurant," Cathy Wendhold-McDade told City Council members in Douglasville, where residents in November approved a nonbinding referendum for a public smoking ban. "You have a smoking section and you have a second-hand smoking section."
Some opponents say a public smoking ban is a case of government overstepping its bounds.
"These anti-smoking proposals represent the fine line where government concern for public health becomes government intrusion into private business and governmental oppression of individual liberties," said Michael Benoit, owner of the Vortex Bar & Grill in Atlanta.
If the smoking ban were approved by the Senate, it would have to make its way through the House, where its prospects are unclear.
Still, public sentiment tends to favor public smoking bans, Balfour said.
Florida's smoking ban was approved by 71 percent of voters. And 81 percent of voters on Douglasville's referendum were in favor of a ban
I hope so.
This, along with your other statements, indicates that Peter is exactly right. You are obviopusly the type of person responsible for his statement. To give you credit though, you do display your intellectual capapability rather well in this post.
Edited for clarity.
Three eggs over medium, bacon, scattered well then scattered and browned and then scattered and burnt up to a smoldering crisp, please. KILL 'UM!
Open mouth, insert fork. &8^D
And this post obviopusly gives you the perfect place to display your spelling capapabilities! LOL!
Or did I hit a nerve, sunshine?
I often display my typographical disability. Result of poorer eyesight than years ago in part. I don't see things as close as the screen real clearly anymore and sometimes miss my typos. You on the other hand, display your intellectual capacity again, wanna keep reinforcing my view of your kind? BTW, forget the job as a psychic, particularly when determing hitting my nerves, you'll starve.
I almost spit my coffee all over the keyboard,,,LOL. Great stuff!
A restraurant is not a public place, a sidewalk is.
I could care less what your view of "my kind" is, you miserable twerp.
Oh My, oh my , oh my. A real key board tough guy here. Insult all you wish and use all the vulgar language you wish. I'll take heart in the fact that you're on the losing side.
Bye bye now.
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