Indiana City to Propose Smoking Ban

I hope you’re not all getting sick of these little articles about smoking bans and proposed smoking bans and such.  As these smoking bans keep creeping up and creeping up, it’s setting precedent and going to create more problems in the future.  Organizations like the American Cancer Society are not going to stop lobbying against tobacco when smoking bans are in place everywhere.  They’re going to keep going until they completely eradicate your access to tobacco.  Think about that for a minute…

Anyway, back to Westfield, Indiana.  It’s another city looking to propose a smoking ban.  They figure it’s a good thing and, hey, it’s okay because 70% of Americans are already living under some form of smoking ban, so why shouldn’t they?  Here’s the full article…

Westfield – A controversial issue is under consideration in another central Indiana city. Westfield is considering a proposal to crack down on smoking, and it would require bars, restaurants and offices to go smoke-free.

Westfield Mayor Andy Cook is anticipating opposition, but says he wants to start off with a strong ordinance out of the gate. Under the proposal, Westfield would join Bloomington and Zionsville, two communities that have passed very strict no-smoking laws.

“I believe we have to have a starting point. Somebody must say, ‘Here’s the line and where do we go from here?’,” Cook said. “And with our Hoosier tradition of watering things down, I think we have to start pretty heavy.”

Westfield’s ordinance would exempt homes except when they are used as daycares. Twenty percent of the city’s hotel rooms would be exempt, as well as private clubs that have no employees. Bars, restaurants and offices would be non-smoking.

Mayor Cook expects resistance but doesn’t want a watered-down law.

“We need to make a statement. Where do we stand on this public issue of smoking? So that those of the development community and they are knocking on the door, fortunately, very heavily, I think it’s fair to the development community that Westfield takes a stand and says this is where we’re going,” said Westfield Mayor Andy Cook.

The ordinance will have a first read Monday night. A public hearing is scheduled for June 8th.

The mayor says he knows there will be some push-back on the ordinance and exemptions could be added following the public hearing next month. However, Cook also said he wants a strong ordinance to begin with.

According to the American Non-smokers Rights Foundation, as of last month, just over 70 percent of all Americans live under laws restricting smoking. Westfield would join a growing number of cities that have a near-total ban.

“I frequent places because they don’t have smoking, so I think it’s a good idea,” said Westfield resident Kimberly Schaming.

“There maybe should be some exemptions, but I also think it’s a good idea to have a ban, because I don’t like to be around smoke,” said Becky Riley.

Critics of government-imposed smoking bans worry what comes next. But with a growing number of cities not content to enact weak smoking bans, Westfield may be the next Indiana city to go all out to protect the health of non-smokers.

http://www.wthr.com/global/story.asp?s=10340409

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