Texas: Smoking ban takes center stage at council meeting

The Beaumont Enterprise ^ | 02/04/2006 | ROLANDO GARCIA

[SheLion]

Strict new smoking ordinances - including one that would ban lighting up in all public spaces, such as restaurants - will be considered by the Beaumont City Council at its meeting Tuesday. 

City Manager Kyle Hayes will present council members with two smoking ban drafts. One of those would apply to bars, restaurants, workplaces, bowling alleys and most other enclosed spaces accessible to the public.

The other would exempt bars - defined as establishments which derive at least 70 percent of revenue from alcohol sales. This proposal also would allow smoking in restaurants if there is a walled-off smoking area with a separate ventilation system.

The proposals are just a starting point, Hayes said.

No vote will be taken, but city officials will begin meeting with restaurant and bar owners as well as advocates of a total ban to get feedback on the proposals.

"There are so many variables to the ordinance, I thought (council members) would want choices," Hayes said.

The issue came to the forefront last year when the Jefferson County Medical Society endorsed a total ban and urged the council to act.

Second-hand smoke kills 50,000 Americans each year, the group said.

Beaumont's city attorney and public health director studied smoking ordinances in other Texas cities before drafting the proposals to be presented Tuesday, Hayes said.

El Paso and Austin have banned smoking in nearly all public spaces. An analysis by the state health department shows at least 29 Texas cities have adopted a ban that is at least modestly strict.

Some apply only to restaurants but not to bars or bars in restaurants. Others allow smoking only in stand-alone bars, and some allow smoking as long as there is a designated area with separate ventilation or an air purification system.

In El Paso, many restaurant and bar owners said the 2002 ban was a devastating hit. Sales plummeted and many went out of businesses - some said they survived only by building an outdoor patio for smokers.

But city officials there pointed out that sales tax revenue from restaurants and bars remained stable after the ban was implemented.

[SheLion]

Strict new smoking ordinances - including one that would ban lighting up in all public spaces, such as restaurants - will be considered by the Beaumont City Council at its meeting Tuesday.

RESTAURANTS ARE "PUBLIC PLACES??!!"  I think NOT!!!! They are a PRIVATE BUSINESS!!!!

The issue came to the forefront last year when the Jefferson County Medical Society endorsed a total ban and urged the council to act.

Is the Jefferson County Medial Society going to make up the loss of revenue that the private business suffer???

Second-hand smoke kills 50,000 Americans each year, the group said.

Just where DO they get these numbers! 

El Paso and Austin have banned smoking in nearly all public spaces. An analysis by the state health department shows at least 29 Texas cities have adopted a ban that is at least modestly strict.

[SheLion]

American Cancer Society Admits "Mistake" in Ad

53,000 deaths caused from second hand smoke?

click here

The anti-smoking zealots believe they can get away with saying or doing anything if the subject is smoking. This proves they can't if we remain vigilant.

Wanda Hamilton

[Racehorse]

Just where DO they get these numbers!

From the same guy who counts all those disappearing trees in the Amazon rain forest.  He's a busy guy.

[SheLion]

DON'T LET THE HEADLINES FOOL YOU
Court throws out challenge to EPA findings on secondhand smoke - (December 2002) - The ruling was based on the highly technical grounds that since the EPA didn't actually enact any new regulations (it merely declared ETS to be a carcinogen without actually adopting any new rules), the court had no jurisdiction to rule in the matter.  This court ruling on the EPA report is NOT a stamp of approval for that report. Judge Osteen's criticisms of the EPA report are still completely valid and is accompanied by other experts.

Oak Ridge Labs, TN & SECOND HAND SMOKE 

Statistics and Data Sciences Group Projects

I think any anti who tries to dismiss the findings of the U.S. Department of Energy labs at Oak Ridge, should be confronted with the question: "Are you saying that DOE researchers committed scientific fraud and that their findings on ETS exposure are untrue?"

More on Second Hand Smoke Frauds

You read the lies about second hand smoke and passive smoke....now read the TRUTH!

The dangers of passive smoke are a scientific fraud, and those who say there are dangers are either incompetent, or liars. For ample scientific information on the passive smoke fraud, click here..

Cancer Society fined for lack of disclosure in anti-smoking ads - 6-10-05 

[Pan_Yans Wife]

An analysis by the state health department shows at least 29 Texas cities have adopted a ban that is at least modestly strict.

Modestly strict? What does that oxymoron mean?

[Road Warrior ‘04]

City Manager Kyle Hayes will present council members with two smoking ban drafts. One of those would apply to bars, restaurants, workplaces, bowling alleys and most other enclosed spaces accessible to the public. The other would exempt bars - defined as establishments which derive at least 70 percent of revenue from alcohol sales. This proposal also would allow smoking in restaurants if there is a walled-off smoking area with a separate ventilation system.

Third proposal: Let the owners set the rules. Let the patrons decide if they want to go into an establishment that allows smoking.

[Racehorse]

Thanks for the link and the info:

I fired off another letter to the ACS. In essence it said that since the ACS had been unable to produce even a single piece of documentation that the EPA published or endorsed the 53,000 figure in l988 (or any other year), I would file a complaint against the ACS for false and misleading advertising.

Several weeks later, the ACS's final response arrived. "The American Cancer Society will no longer use the Environmental Protection Agency as the source for the statistic because we too have been unable to acquire the documentation to support this citation."

[markman46]

I think they just pull numbers like that out of the A** mostlikly, and no one try's ot dispute them because they sound "right", oh ya check this one out. What the Calif air resources board has determined.

http://www.arb.ca.gov/newsrel/nr012606.htm

[BIGZ]

Talk about taking away one's rights.

Automobiles kill 50m plus each year, lets ban autos?

[SheLion]

An analysis by the state health department shows at least 29 Texas cities have adopted a ban that is at least modestly strict.

Modestly strict? What does that oxymoron mean?

Actually, I didn't KNOW about "29" cities.  Must be in the back woods.  And Texans know about this??

An analysis by the state health department shows at least 29 Texas cities have adopted a ban that is at least modestly strict.

Modestly strict? What does that oxymoron mean?

Actually, I didn't KNOW about "29" cities.  Must be in the back woods.  And Texans know about this??

[SheLion]

Third proposal: Let the owners set the rules. Let the patrons decide if they want to go into an establishment that allows smoking.

And the pukes have the NERVE to call Private Business PUBLIC!!

[devane617]

I will go to Beaumont and fire up one of these:

[xrp]

Can't these establishments just turn themselves into private clubs and charge a $1 entry fee? That's what I would do when faced with the prospect of the voters using government force to tell me how to run my business.

[SheLion]

Read this again:

Second-hand smoke kills 50,000 Americans each year, the group said.

American Cancer Society Admits "Mistake" in Ad

53,000 deaths caused from second hand smoke?

click here

The anti-smoking zealots believe they can get away with saying or doing anything if the subject is smoking. This proves they can't if we remain vigilant.

[SheLion]

Can't these establishments just turn themselves into private clubs and charge a $1 entry fee? That's what I would do when faced with the prospect of the voters using government force to tell me how to run my business.

Even the Vet Clubs were forced to go smoke free and THEY are private.  There is no getting around the anti's!!!

[TheMom]

Must be in the back woods. And Texans know about this??

The cities I know of, besides El Paso and Austin, are Houston, San Antonio, and Corpus Christi. I would be willing to bet Dallas and Fort Worth are included.

[nina0113]

Come to Virginia, where state law bans local anti-smoking ordinances.

[deport]

Yep.....

Dallas, Fort Worth, and a few others..... I wasn't aware of Houston. But I thought most public places limited smoking to certain locations anyway...

Alvin
Arlington
Austin
Bryan
Carrolton
College Station
El Paso
Fredericksburg
Irving
Leander
Longview
Lubbock
New Braunfels
Odessa
Plano
Robinson
Rollingwood
Round Rock
Schertz
Sunset Valley
Waco
West Lake Hills
Wichita Falls

[SheLion]

Texas: Businesses wary of smoking ban talk

(Austin, TX) Smoking Ban Passes (Voters Overrule Council)

  People Ban: TX Denton
Denton Update

  People Ban: TX McAllen
McAllen Update

  People Ban: TX Lake Jackson
Lake Jackson Update

  People Ban: TX Austin Battle
Austin Battle Update

  Law Suits: TX: Austin Businesses sue over smoking ban
Austin Businesses sue over smoking ban

  People Ban: Corpus Christi Update
Corpus Christi Update

  Smoking Outside: TX Greenville Parks
Buffalo Grove (IL) and Greenville (TX) Ban Smoking in Parks

[SheLion]

Come to Virginia, where state law bans local anti-smoking ordinances.

I don't think so. Sorry.......

New Smoking Ban Proposal

Charlottesville NewsPlex

February 3, 2006

Last year a bill that would have restricted smoking inside all public places was defeated in the state Senate, but this time around legislators are proposing the same ban, but just for a majority of public places.

"People who smoke, obviously they're addicted," said Ex-smoker Patrick Fogarty.

"I was addicted. I think they should have a chance to smoke as long as it's not intruding on others."

But that's exactly the problem. A lot of non-smokers feel smoking in public places is intrusive.

That's why lawmakers are proposing a ban that would prevent people from smoking in most buildings.

"I agree with that, absolutely," said Bill Wanner. "I think the public spaces should be regulated in a uniform way."

"It might seem a little unfair to smokers, but you know everyone doesn't want to smell it," said Damarcus Wilson.

But some smokers aren't too thrilled with the idea. "I feel I should be able to smoke wherever I want to smoke," said Kellie Shelton.

As far as smoking inside restaurants, that would be left up to local government, not a comforting thought for some local business owners.

A local government making a decision on whether or not there should be smoking in a restaurant is just out of line and a violation of our freedom of rights to do things," said Tony LaBua, owner of Chaps Ice Cream Shop.

To mandate that they can't have that possibly crosses a line that we need to think hard about crossing," said Michael Rodi, owner of Rapture.

Exceptions to the ban would include, private homes and vehicles, designated hotel rooms and specialty tobacco stores, but some say that's just not enough.

"It's up to my customer to come in to my place, whether it's smoking or not, not up to the government to tell me whether or not smoking is allowed in my place," said LaBua.

If passed, any person who continues to smoke in an area where it's not allowed will be subject to a $100 fine the first time and a $200 fine each time after that.

The fines for businesses that don't comply would run up to $500.

Also, if passed businesses where indoor smoking would be allowed would have to post warning signs.