St. Louis City & County Go Smoke-Free In Less Than Two Months
St. Louis City & County, with some exceptions, will go smoke-free in less than two months, on January 2nd, 2011.
For some of us it can’t happen so enough while others fear the day or think their business is grandfathered. Â Numerous businesses have been opting to go smoke-free all year to attract customers that might have stayed away previously.
I hope to post more detail on the regulations and the allowed exemptions. Â But, like so many things, enforcement may come down to citizen complaints. Some establishment owners are going to try to get away with allowing smoking.
– Steve Patterson
Can't wait for smoke-free day! Now we just need to get rid of people smoking at bus stops, sidewalks and in parks.
Yesterday I guy joined me at a bus stop and he started smoking upwind from me. I had to move so I wouldn't smell like a smoker.
Smokers and gamblers are losers.
Re smoking at bus stops: That irritates me too, but I can usually walk away from it. However, a recent study by Italy's National Cancer Institute found the smoke from three cigarettes caused more air pollution then the exhaust of one diesel car. So, it appears that even smoking outdoors has an air pollution impact.
Also, when you are indoors with smokers, imagine one diesel engine's exhaust in that room in place of three smokers in the room and you can understand why you are choking on the smoke.
I believe that George Carlin said this: “Mind if I smoke?” “No, mind if I fart? They're both 'natural' acts!”
As a nonsmoker who, at best, tolerates smokers, I continue to try to understand two realities: One, why is tobacco legal when other, less-harmful drugs, like marijuana, are illegal, especially given tobacco's known health risks? And two, from a purely pragmatic/greed standpoint, why doesn't Missouri raise its state tax on tobacco to something nearer the national norm (instead of stubornly remaing the lowest by a wide margin) – we're missing a natural revenue source, to say nothing of the financial disincentive's ability to motivate people to quit?
It was a huge shock to me when I moved to St. Louis and realized that people still smoked in bars. I'm curious about how the smoking ban will go here. I was living in New York City when the smoking ban was enacted there several years ago. Businesses (bars in particular) all moaned and groaned about how the law would destroy their businesses. Many bars allowed smoking illegally, especially late at night, opting to take the risk and offset the cost of the fines by attracting the smokers, as in “come drink at my bar, because you can smoke here, wink wink” This usually lasted until they got their second fine, and realized that a third fine would result in having their liquor license revoked.
The bottom line is that people are going to go to bars regardless of whether or not they can smoke there. It isn't as though people will say “Well, heck, since I can't smoke I'll just stay home.” In the long run, it is good for business because, and obviously good for health reasons.
The only other point we should consider which just occurred to me: the biggest difference between St. Louis and NYC is the crime level here. When the smoking ban goes into effect, people will have to go outside the bars at night to smoke. I wonder how people will feel standing outside, especially in lower traffic areas. In NYC, this was never a problem because of the large numbers of pedestrians everywhere. In St. Louis however, the foot traffic is much lower and people getting mugged in “safe” areas at “safe” times never ceases to amaze me. Wondering if bars and late night establishments will need to address that with an additional bouncer or two or well lit smoking areas outside …
We will see how it goes. Some places will close, others will do more business.
Crime won't be an issue beyond a few anecdotal cases that I don't doubt local news will pounce on. I've worked in many places when bans went into effect: California, Minneapolis, Chicago and others. Most people will have others with them outside while they smoke. Lone smokers will also likely be close to the door and plate glass windows.
A more likely problem resulting from the ban is noise outside of bars and clubs. Neigborhood bars will suddenly have quite a few smokers chatting, laughing and arguing on the streets to annoy neighbors. At clubs, security is more difficult with smokers coming in and out unless a secure area outside is available. Think of the clubs on Washington. How are some of them going to accommodate smokers when they have only a front entrance? What of bars on South Grand? Their doors will be constantly open and the sound of live bands will certainly be louder than now.
Yup…the issue with smokers for me is that when they smoke, I smoke…And I don't want to…
This will be so good to have in place…Like another post commented, how many people are just gonna stay home and smoke rather than go check out the scene? Come on, now…
There will be a period of adjustment, but a few years from now there will be a lot of folks who will wonder how we ever put up with it…