Clearing the Air: Council votes to ban smoking in restaurants
01/23/2003
Ten Dallas City Council members stood up for environmental health yesterday. Mayor Laura Miller and council members Don Hill, John Loza, Lois Finkelman, Elba Garcia, Veletta Forsythe Lill, Mark Housewright, Maxine Thornton-Reese, Leo Chaney and James Fantroy said secondhand smoke in restaurants is not acceptable. The vote was courageous. And it was right.
Elected city officials have been bombarded with warnings that creation of a smoke-free environment in Dallas restaurants could be devastating to the economy. Mayor Miller said the restaurants never proved their case.
But Parkland Hospital chief executive Ron Anderson certainly proved his. He pointed out how passive smoking can cause heart disease, lung cancer and a variety of ailments that can lead to death or fill his hospital beds.
Council members who voted for the prohibition of smoking in eating establishments are following a trend that has been under way for years in other cities. The evidence of the dangers of tobacco smoke in public places has become too compelling to ignore.
As the ordinance goes into effect March 1, Dallas officials should urge other cities in the region to join them in this movement. There are no city limit lines when it comes to personal health. Nor should there be.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
There are no city limit lines when it comes to personal health.
The Dallas Morning News loves big gov't.
Hold your horses. This will be repealed as soon as Mary Poss is elected.