Ban on smoking heads for new votes

Patriot Ledger, 2001-09-19 ^ | 2001-09-19 | Laurent Thomet

[SheLion]

PLYMOUTH - A vote on whether to repeal the town's new ban on smoking in public places will take place during the Oct. 22 town meeting.

Selectmen last night decided to ask town meeting members to review the ban, which took effect Sept. 1. They also unanimously last night voted to hold a spring referendum on whether to repeal the ban.

Restaurant and bar owners have lost business since the ban went into effect, Selectman David F. Malaguti said.

He said several owners called him over the weekend to complain about the ban. "There's been a considerable drop-off in business," Malaguti said. "There are more than two businesses that are not going to make it through the spring."

Town meeting approved the ban, 49-44, in May. Businesses have been seeking repeal ever since.

The smoking ban has caused more than financial troubles. Last week, a patron got into a fight with a bartender who asked him to put out his cigarette.

Selectmen said last night that they want the town to decide whether it wants to retain the ban.

Selectman David J. Rushforth, who said he continues to support the ban, asked that repeal be proposed at town meeting in October before being considered in a referendum.

"I think it's an important enough question," he said.

Selectmen have already voted in favor of repealing the ban.

"I'd like to get town meeting behind us," Selectman Christopher Lombard said. Selectmen will make a motion for repeal at town meeting, Chairman Kenneth A. Tavares said.

If the fall town meeting and spring referendum votes are in favor of repeal, the repeal proposal will go back to town meeting next year for a final decision, Town Manager Eleanor S. Beth said.

[SheLion]

Mass is at it AGAIN!!

[Random Access]

Print a copy of the American flag on your cigarette and tell them you are burning it as a protest against the racist, hegemonic, imperialist, capitolist Republican Bush regime. Careful though, they will probably try to elect you to congress.

[SheLion]

Isn't this awful?????? And the business's are HURTING! This sure sucks the big one, let me tell you! Sure glad "I" don't live in communism MASS!!! HOME OF TED KENNEDY...........YEA!!

[jodorowsky]

Ottawa enacted one of these a couple of months ago.

All it does around here is shift business to clubs with patios.

But our winters get pretty cruel. The true test comes then -- if bar owners will rightly passively disobey this bylaw or go out of business or what.

[Max McGarrity]

Antis are licking their chops at the thought that our attention is on the threat to our country. They haven't even slowed down.

Darlene, you got contact info?

[Great Dane]

Did you read Ron Corbet today, seems the City used false info, to get their stupid by-law.

[Gabz]

I can't believe these people do not realize there are more important threats - but on the otherhand they don't understand such a simple phrase as ".....and with liberty and justice for all." They have a problem with the definition of the word ALL.

[Just another Joe]

So, FIRST the antis DON'T put it to a vote of the people but let the selectmen enact the ban.
Now that the selectmen have repealed the ban, NOW the antis want it put to a vote of the people.
The antis want it BOTH ways when they don't want a smoker to have ANY way.

The antis can kiss my A$$.