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June 22, 2003
No Smoking in Fayette-nam?
Here's a good example of why we call our town Fayette-nam. There's been a big campaign here to ban smoking in restaurants....hence the signs you've seen around town saying "Support Smoke-Free Fayetteville". [Note: Many have been edited, uh, vandalized to read "Support Free Fayetteville"...not that I advocate vandalism, but I appreciate the sentiment.] We were discussing the issue at breakfast yesterday with some friends, who were wondering when the issue would come up for a vote. According to today's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, it won't. [I don't know why I bother linking to them, they stupidly don't archive their stories past a day or two. They're worse than Blogspot.]
Fayetteville Alderman Don Marr plans to introduce an amendment to the city’s 1991 smoking regulation at the July 1 meeting of the City Council. The current ban applies to a variety of public and private buildings.
A draft version of the amendment would extend the smoking ban to restaurants, bars and other public buildings and workplaces. Only private offices with just one worker would be exempt, Marr said.
Well, we certainly wouldn't want a city-wide vote on that would we? That just pisses me off. As most of you know, I smoke. And I go out of my way to be polite and considerate about it around non-smokers. I think smoking/nonsmoking sections are a reasonable compromise. In fact, we use both depending on whether Bubs is with us or not. It's not because we think second-hand smoke is going to turn him into some six-toed three-eyed freak. (Though as Mike says, that might be cool) He has multiple allergies, one of which is an allergy to smoke. We don't smoke in the house or the car when he's here; we sit in the nonsmoking section when he goes out to eat with us. When he's not around, we sit in the smoking section. Our choice.
It is also our choice to not patronize restaurants that don't offer us that choice. I figure that if you, as a business, choose to not offer me a service which is important to me, then you don't really want my money. It's not called a "service industry" for nothing you know....as in customer service. And if you can survive by catering to nonsmokers, then more power to you. It's that free market thing.
And I don't need no pointy headed anti-smoking hysteric interferring in that process. If they want to try to ban smoking, they should put the issue to a citywide vote instead of trying to sneak its passage through in a city council meeting.
Sneaky underhanded asshats.
Posted by Rita at June 22, 2003 08:27 AM
Comments
They've already done that up in Helena, and there are two doctors there that are claiming that since the ban was enacted, deaths from smoking have gone down 62%. This is with 6 months data, or some such thing. It's ridiculous, but everyone is running with it.
I would be surprised if the non-smoking crusaders down there don't pick up on that.
We don't smoke, and we always sit in non-smoking or go to non-smoking restaurants, but as you say, that is our choice. We've been known to go to the local watering hole to have a drink or three, and to me, a Montana watering hole without a thick haze of blue smoke is damn near a crime in itself.
People who want to save us from ourselves have far too much time on their hands.
Posted by: mtpolitics at June 22, 2003 09:38 AM
Non-smoker here. I have lived around smokers all my life and have had no ill effects,(yet). These people need to consider the amount of revenue generated by the taxes on tabacco and tabacco products and act accordingly.
Posted by: Bill at June 22, 2003 11:18 AM
That "study" was mentioned back earlier in the year when they were trying for a statewide ban by attempting to change the health department regs....and pretty quickly discredited. Our governor shot the statewide ban down, saying something like that had to be voted on by the citzenry. So now they've all gathered up here to make us a "test city." Lucky us.
As long as a business has adequate ventilation I can't see there's a legitimate issue. I don't like to eat in smoke-filled places either. I like it much better now that there's separate sections....even though the smoker's section is often the crappiest location in the place.
The anticipated loss of revenue has most of the smarter restaurant & bar owners up in arms. The places that have gone non-smoking claim to not had any decrease in business. But I know for a fact they've lost at least 2 customers, permanently.
: )
Posted by: Rita at June 22, 2003 12:31 PM
Personally, I have a big problem with the banning of smoking in private businesses. I'm a former smoker and I don't like being around smoke when I eat, but I don't like this "movement." If the property owner allows smoking, then I don't think that the city gov't has any right to disallow it. If one doesn't want to be around smoke, then (a) sit in the non-smoking section, (b) go to a non-smoking restaurant, or (c) stay home and cook.
Posted by: Bob at June 22, 2003 09:46 PM
I suspect most people would agree with y'all and that's why the supporters are trying to get this enacted without putting it to a vote.
Only in Fayette-nam, right Bob?
Posted by: Rita at June 23, 2003 06:08 AM
Exactly. It's a great town, but it has too many people who obsess about what others do.
It'd be interesting, as a lark, to start the campaign Keep Fayetteville Scream Free. You don't want to be around smoke? Fine. I don't want to be around your screaming kids. If they're quiet, cool, if not, bada bing, it's time to take little Johnny home so he can has his tirade in private. I wonder how people would react to this same type of pettiness when it's not directed towards the pariahs (smokers)?
Posted by: Bob Bumpus at June 23, 2003 06:59 AM
I once tried to start a Ban Screaming Kids & Their Annoying Strollers From the Mall movement, but everyone just rolled their eyes and said I was a big meanie. So I just stopped going to the mall unless I just absolutely have to....then it's a quick in-and-out, no window shopping.
When a kid starts getting restless & fussy, it's time to leave....which explains our sudden exit at breakfast Saturday BTW. Bubs is generally pretty well behaved in public, but he has his limits.
Screaming kids in public places...sometimes I just want to yank 'em up and paddle their behinds. Their parents, that is.
Posted by: Rita at June 23, 2003 08:07 AM