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Smoking ban ordinance introduced
Regulation protects public health, safety, takes effect July 1
Jacob McCormick
Issue date: 3/13/08 Section: News
On Tuesday night, the Eau Claire City Council officially introduced an ordinance to prohibit smoking in work and public places as well as certain outdoor areas around Eau Claire.
The council is set to vote on the issue on March 25 after holding a public hearing March 24 for concerned members of the community, councilman David Duax, who co-sponsored the proposal with councilman Hal Davis, said.
The purpose of the ordinance is protecting the public health, safety, comfort and general welfare of the people of the city of Eau Claire, according to its first section. If passed, Duax said the measure would go into effect July 1 to allow tavern owners and other proprietors time to adjust and adapt to the new law.
Duax said that he feels compelled in the interest of public health to re-introduce the ordinance, which had been worked on more than a year ago.
Appleton, Madison and the Village of Shorewood in Milwaukee are a few cities that have adopted a citywide smoke-free ordinance as well as the full states of Minnesota and Illinois.
Senior Lincoln Walker said that if the trend continues, it could definitely have an impact on the state-wide legislation.
"If more counties and cities do it, it's more likely to go state-wide," he said.
While Duax said the only strong opposition to the proposal comes from tavern owners or the Tavern League of Wisconsin, he feels community support is high enough to push the ordinance through.
"My readout is that there's strong political support and by political I mean people," he said. "My concern is the Tavern League is the only big Kahuna player in this thing that's opposed to it. They don't want to compromise, don't want to sit and dialogue. They say 'here we stand, we are opposed to this no ifs, ands or buts.'"
The majority of taverns affected by the ban would be those thought of as small, neighborhood bars with a blue collar feel to them, Duax said.
In 2005, and again in 2007, the Board of Health passed resolutions supporting bans on smoking in public places, Board president Karen Witt said.
The council is set to vote on the issue on March 25 after holding a public hearing March 24 for concerned members of the community, councilman David Duax, who co-sponsored the proposal with councilman Hal Davis, said.
The purpose of the ordinance is protecting the public health, safety, comfort and general welfare of the people of the city of Eau Claire, according to its first section. If passed, Duax said the measure would go into effect July 1 to allow tavern owners and other proprietors time to adjust and adapt to the new law.
Duax said that he feels compelled in the interest of public health to re-introduce the ordinance, which had been worked on more than a year ago.
Appleton, Madison and the Village of Shorewood in Milwaukee are a few cities that have adopted a citywide smoke-free ordinance as well as the full states of Minnesota and Illinois.
Senior Lincoln Walker said that if the trend continues, it could definitely have an impact on the state-wide legislation.
"If more counties and cities do it, it's more likely to go state-wide," he said.
While Duax said the only strong opposition to the proposal comes from tavern owners or the Tavern League of Wisconsin, he feels community support is high enough to push the ordinance through.
"My readout is that there's strong political support and by political I mean people," he said. "My concern is the Tavern League is the only big Kahuna player in this thing that's opposed to it. They don't want to compromise, don't want to sit and dialogue. They say 'here we stand, we are opposed to this no ifs, ands or buts.'"
The majority of taverns affected by the ban would be those thought of as small, neighborhood bars with a blue collar feel to them, Duax said.
In 2005, and again in 2007, the Board of Health passed resolutions supporting bans on smoking in public places, Board president Karen Witt said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 7 of 7
Bill Hannegan
posted 3/13/08 @ 12:45 AM CST
Please let me suggest a painless alternative to a smoking ban. Why not require venues that allow smoking to purify their air 15 times or more per hour thru both electronic and HEPA air filtration machines separate from the establishment's regular HVAC system as air filtration engineers recommend. (Continued…)
Thomas Laprade
posted 3/13/08 @ 9:02 PM CST
Smoking bans are the real threat to Democracy
The bandwagon of local smoking bans now steamrolling across the nation -
from sea to sea- has nothing to do with protecting people from the supposed
threat of "second-hand" smoke. (Continued…)
snowbird
Thomas Laprade
posted 3/13/08 @ 9:09 PM CST
If the public was honestly and truthfully informed about the effects of second-hand smoke, there would be fewer no-smoking laws in this country.
A little smoke from a handful of crushed leaves and some paper that is mixed with the air of a decently ventilated venue is going to harm or kill you?
There has never been a single study showing that exposure to the low levels of smoke found in bars and restaurants with decent modern ventilation and filtration systems kills or harms anyone. (Continued…)
snowbird
Thomas Laprade
posted 3/13/08 @ 9:21 PM CST
There are two reasons for no-smoking bans and neither of them are about health.
Quarantine/isolate the smoker.
Denormalize smoking.
That's it in a nut shell
http://smokersclubinc. (Continued…)
Virgil Kleinhelter
posted 3/19/08 @ 3:24 PM CST
http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/diesel_lung_cancer.html
If smoking were a cause of any cancer, lung cancer is the most likely one. It was Sir Richard Doll who implicated smoking in a study published in 1964 - despite his own published data from that study which showed that people who inhaled cigarette smoke had less lung cancer than those who didn't!
The real cause of lung cancer, according to another Oxford research scientist, Dr. (Continued…)
Ken Hill
posted 3/20/08 @ 7:09 PM CST
Government Will Make Smokers, Children, Families, Sick
Government's that foster anti-smoking policies lead the real health epidemic, government interference. (Continued…)
Bearc1aw
posted 3/21/08 @ 1:15 PM CST
It should be noted that places like bars can already DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES if they want smoking or not!
Its time to stop going after smokers just because its trendy!
Where are the people, who are against smoking, when air and water quality standards were lowered? Where are these people when it comes to fating fast food? Where are they when Eau Claire starts selling hummers?
Where are they? Driving to Wal-mart to support band environmental standards, SLAVE LABOR and fake health care in low gas mileage cars or sitting on their green treated deck, but from supplies bought at Menard's!
How many hiprocretic bastards are out there who are against smokers BUT HAPLY TAKE THE TAX MONEY THAT SMOKERS PAY!!!
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