Steve, it’d be nice if you’d create a section on the website that would allow us to revisit the past polls you’ve taken, even after they’re closed. For example, I’ve just cast the 6th vote in this poll. I’m curious how it will trend after more people weigh in. But unless I’m lucky enough to come back and look immediately before you swap it out for the new poll, then I miss the final results.

[slp --- I've been thinking about a way to display prior closed polls. The polls are changed on the weekends --- usually on Sunday. That gives you all week to look at the results. Starting with this poll I've got it visible in the right sidebar regardless of where you are on the site. So come back everyday and when you do just glance at the poll results.]

Even North Carolina, aka “Tobacco Road,” just passed state legislation to go smoke-free January 2, 2010.

Bill:

When would be a good time to safeguard public health? Should we wait for a booming economy in St Louis to protect workers and patrons from smokers’ cancerous habit? The arguments against the ban change with the times but the tune remains the same: property owners’ rights and loss of jobs.

I simply don’t believe that the amorphous people and reports you refer to are correct. Most states in this country have passed such laws with little to no effect on restaurants and bars. Entire countries have passed the law without significant loss of business. From wikipaedia: A 2003 review of 97 such studies of the economic effects of a smoking ban on the hospitality industry found that the “best-designed” studies concluded that smoking bans did not harm businesses. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1136%2Ftc.12.1.13]

Even were I to follow your belief that 1% of restaurant employees and 19.7% of bar employees were to lose their employ with such a ban, a few jobs lost is a worthwhile cost for the benefit to society as a whole. I am sympathetic to people losing their jobs but such is life. Smoking is a nuisance and health danger. These jobs will be replaced.

BTW, 1% of restaurant employees must be within the study’s margin of error or be statistically insignificant in a city of 380,000 people. How many “bar” employees are there in the City? Steve mentioned in earlier posts that there are 13,000 casino, bar and restaurant employees in the City.

This is the study from which Dr. Cotti derives the St. Louis City bar employment loss number:

http://www.bepress.com/bejeap/vol7/iss1/art12/

I’ve first-hand witnessed the effects of Illinois’ state ban(plus various local smoking bans that existed in the 2 years after a smoking ban local control bill passed, and before the state ban begun), and I can absolutely assure Saint Louisians that the effects of a smoking ban(regardless if local or statewide) are NOT pretty. Casinos throughout the state of Illinois are DOWN by greater than 20% statewide, and many bars have had to either cut back staff or their hours, thanks to the state ban. Also, many bars ignore the ban throughout the state to keep their customers coming.

Your city has a great luxury in leaving free choice up to each private business(and one I’m jealous people in other cities still get to enjoy, as a Chicagoian who no longer can enjoy how my city once was), and it’d be ridiculous to take it away from all private business, all because of the demands of selfish anti-smoking groups. To all who are opposing the Saint Louis city ban, please keep fighting this proposal, and all other local, county, + regional ban proposals that surface. I’m sorry to hear Clayton did pass a local smoking ban, and ignored the restauranteurs that highlighted Ballwin’s problems after they passed a smoking ban.

Hope Smoke-Free STL City will be happy with all the ban defiance that will occur under a city ban, like it has in one state having a smoking ban:
http://www.smokechoke.com/