Although it really was not my issue, the St. Charles County Council decided it for me. For those not keeping up at home, this year’s perpetual attempt toward a countywide smoking ban in indoor public places was haphazardly written, causing a second opt-out question to also go on the ballot to exempt bars, casinos and some other establishments. Then it appears the council did not follow the correct procedures in putting the ban on the ballot, causing county Elections Director Rich Chrismer to remove the issue from the ballot altogether.
I have to say I don’t understand the continued push toward enacting a smoking ban on privately owned businesses, especially from a mostly Republican council that should favor less regulation. All businesses cater to a clientele, and they know their customers. For those people who go into businesses such as restaurants, bars and Ameristar Casino for lengthy periods and want to have the opportunity to have a smoke, I don’t begrudge the owner of the establishment for allowing them.
It should be the owner who has every right to determine whether to allow patrons to smoke in their business. Tobacco is a legal product, whether some like that fact or not. I have been in several restaurants in the St. Charles area that have become smoke-free, and they don’t seem to have a problem with their patrons who want to smoke. They just have to go outside. While this policy seems to work for those businesses, the important thing to remember is it was their choice, not something thrust upon them by the government.
If there must be a crackdown on smoking in public places, I believe there is a simpler solution than an outright ban. Just as with mercury, lead, carbon monoxide and other items that have been labeled as poisonous, there is a certain level of exposure that can be considered not to be threatening. Bars, restaurants, VFWs, casinos, etc., can, through the use of air filtration products, create an atmosphere in which their patrons are better protected from tobacco smoke.
The county could come up with what level is reasonably acceptable, and I think most businesses would make their best effort to provide that level, especially as opposed to banning smoking altogether. There could be answers in Jefferson City. State Rep. Mark Parkinson of Harvester has proposed that no community that bans smoking can benefit from the sales tax on tobacco products sold within their boundaries. There could also be an outright ban statewide. Or the state could pre-empt all local tobacco ordinances, thus throwing them all out in favor of state laws.
Unfortunately, County Council members seems to think they have to continue trying to put together a smoking ban package that can appease everybody. They don’t seem to realize that won’t happen. What bothers me even more is that they seem to favor putting this up for a popular vote. The best public policy doesn’t always come from a popular vote, which is why we are a republic, not a democracy. The council should make a decision and vote to create the policy of St. Charles County rather than punting the issue to the voters while they duck and cover. I expect them to do their job when it comes to these issues.
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