Thursday, June 11, 2009
Smokin' City of Eagle passes smoking ban
Posted by Brady Moore on Thu, Jun 11, 2009 at 11:18 AM
Tuesday night, Eagle Mayor Phil Bandy cast the deciding vote to prohibit smoking at all indoor public places within city limits.
The ordinance will go through two more public readings before residents will have to relinquish their habits in public places. Shauneen Grange of Smokefree Idaho, the group that brought the ordinance to Eagle, commended the city in a statement, saying, “Secondhand smoke is a known public health hazard and no one should have to choose between a job and good health."
The council members were split with Norm Semanko and Jeanne Jackson-Heim voting against and Michael Huffaker and Al Shoushtarian voting for approval. Bandy cast the deciding vote.
Semanko first moved to pass the notion of a public smoking ban on to the state Legislature for statewide consideration, rather than voting for it at the city level, but his motion failed. Huffaker then suggested passing the Eagle ordinance and also asking the Legislature to consider a statewide ban, as Semanko had suggested.
Smokers not following the ordinance will receive a warning for the first offense and a $25 fine, second and third violations face a $50 fine.
Eagle is the first city in Idaho to expand statewide smoking limitations to bars, small businesses and all public places. Smokefree Idaho has also approached Boise, Garden City and Meridian.
In other tobacco news, Idaho's entire congressional delegation has voted in favor of FDA regulation of tobacco products in the form of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. Sen. Jim Risch issued the following statement: “Tobacco products and their effects are a scourge to our nation. They take a tremendous toll on our health and make up a significant portion of our soaring health costs. This bill continues the general tightening of restrictions on the industry to limit the spread of these dangerous and addictive products.”
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Does this mean that outdoor restaurant patios will still have optional smoking? I appreciate that smokers probably feel like they are being limited enough but I can't stand trying to have a nice meal around a bunch of smoke.
I'm not a smoker but whatever happened to your right to run your own business as you see fit? If patrons would simply make their opinions known to the owners and say they'll no longer do business there because of said smoke then the business owner will get the message and either accommodate them or do without their money. And for those who work in said businesses the same thing can be said and nobody is putting a gun to your head and forcing you to work there. I believe its called "freedom of association" in the old parlance which is something forgotten by anti-whatever jihadists.
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