Nederland council snuffs smoking ban
Nederland council snuffs smoking ban
By DENNIS KUTAC, The Enterprise
NEDERLAND - Smokers won't have to worry about where they light up in Nederland, but Mayor R.A. "Dick" Nugent said that doesn't mean smoking restrictions can't be brought up at later time.
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Nederland council members stubbed out a possible citywide smoking ban in public places in a 4-1 vote Monday.
Nugent said local officials visited with representatives from other cities with smoking bans and studied their ordinances.
Ward 4 Councilman Bert Rogers, who voted in favor of pursuing a ban, said he disagreed with some residents in the community who said it was a case of "big government" stepping in.
Rogers compared the resident-driven smoking ban issue to instances when the city has put up stop signs in neighborhoods at the request of residents to slow traffic and prevent accidents.
He said it's a matter of protecting the public.
Other council members had concerns and agreed that enforcing it would be the main issue.
"It seems like it would be difficult to enforce it. Who do you leave that up to?" said Ward 1 Councilman Robert Sawyer.
City Manager Andre Wimer said enforcement potentially would be the business establishment's responsibility.
"I think the national chains are pretty accustomed to ordinances in other cities that have some type of smoking ban," Wimer said.
"There would be a lot of things to think about though if this issue was pursued."
An unresolved issue is at whom a smoking ban would be directed.
Officials first began to discuss a possible citywide smoking ban in December when a resident, Crystal Foxworth, asked that city consider such an ordinance. Its features would stop smoking anywhere up to 25 feet away from a building's entrance; at football games, parks and other places where children gather; and hotels and motels. She was not at the meeting and could not be reached for comment Monday after the vote.
In January and February, council members welcomed public comments about a smoking ban during the regular meetings from residents of Nederland as well as the surrounding communities.
Wimer said 31 people addressed the council and 10 of them spoke in opposition to it. The remaining 21 spoke in favor of it and of that 21, nine lived outside the Nederland city limits.
Nederland has about a half-dozen dine-in restaurants - most of which are along FM 365, the city's boundary with Port Arthur, according to The Enterprise archives.
Port Arthur city officials also have discussed a ban, but haven't taken any action.
In Beaumont, a ban has been in place since July 2006 and opponents to it mounted an unsuccessful petition drive to put the measure to a local vote, according to The Enterprise archives.
Several restaurants adjusted by building required separate areas or becoming private clubs. During the first year, 23 citations were issued for violations.
Some defunct businesses claim the smoking ban was one factor in their closing either because of a drop in business or the costs to comply with the ban.
Other cities have passed smoking bans of varying degrees across the state, including Alvin, Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Lubbock, New Braunfels, Odessa, Robinson, Schertz and West Lake.
http://www.southeasttexaslive.com
By DENNIS KUTAC, The Enterprise
NEDERLAND - Smokers won't have to worry about where they light up in Nederland, but Mayor R.A. "Dick" Nugent said that doesn't mean smoking restrictions can't be brought up at later time.
Advertisement
Nederland council members stubbed out a possible citywide smoking ban in public places in a 4-1 vote Monday.
Nugent said local officials visited with representatives from other cities with smoking bans and studied their ordinances.
Ward 4 Councilman Bert Rogers, who voted in favor of pursuing a ban, said he disagreed with some residents in the community who said it was a case of "big government" stepping in.
Rogers compared the resident-driven smoking ban issue to instances when the city has put up stop signs in neighborhoods at the request of residents to slow traffic and prevent accidents.
He said it's a matter of protecting the public.
Other council members had concerns and agreed that enforcing it would be the main issue.
"It seems like it would be difficult to enforce it. Who do you leave that up to?" said Ward 1 Councilman Robert Sawyer.
City Manager Andre Wimer said enforcement potentially would be the business establishment's responsibility.
"I think the national chains are pretty accustomed to ordinances in other cities that have some type of smoking ban," Wimer said.
"There would be a lot of things to think about though if this issue was pursued."
An unresolved issue is at whom a smoking ban would be directed.
Officials first began to discuss a possible citywide smoking ban in December when a resident, Crystal Foxworth, asked that city consider such an ordinance. Its features would stop smoking anywhere up to 25 feet away from a building's entrance; at football games, parks and other places where children gather; and hotels and motels. She was not at the meeting and could not be reached for comment Monday after the vote.
In January and February, council members welcomed public comments about a smoking ban during the regular meetings from residents of Nederland as well as the surrounding communities.
Wimer said 31 people addressed the council and 10 of them spoke in opposition to it. The remaining 21 spoke in favor of it and of that 21, nine lived outside the Nederland city limits.
Nederland has about a half-dozen dine-in restaurants - most of which are along FM 365, the city's boundary with Port Arthur, according to The Enterprise archives.
Port Arthur city officials also have discussed a ban, but haven't taken any action.
In Beaumont, a ban has been in place since July 2006 and opponents to it mounted an unsuccessful petition drive to put the measure to a local vote, according to The Enterprise archives.
Several restaurants adjusted by building required separate areas or becoming private clubs. During the first year, 23 citations were issued for violations.
Some defunct businesses claim the smoking ban was one factor in their closing either because of a drop in business or the costs to comply with the ban.
Other cities have passed smoking bans of varying degrees across the state, including Alvin, Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Lubbock, New Braunfels, Odessa, Robinson, Schertz and West Lake.
http://www.southeasttexaslive.com
posted by coalville auto care at
12:06 PM
2 Comments:
There has never been a single study showing that exposure to the low levels
of smoke found in bars and restaurants with decent modern ventilation and
filtration systems kills or harms anyone.
As to the annoyance of smoking, a compromise between smokers and non-smokers
can be reached, through setting a quality standard and the use of modern
ventilation technology.
Air ventilation can easily create a comfortable environment that removes not
just passive smoke, but also and especially the potentially serious
contaminants that are independent from smoking.
Thomas Laprade
Thunder Bay, Ont.
Ph. 807 3457258
would 100 % smoking bans succeed if second hand tobacco smoke was NOT a Statistically Significant Public Health Risk to others ?
did you answer no ?
well, then, why don't you say
THE ANTI-SMOKING CLAIMS ABOUT SHS ARE JUNK SCIENCE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
steve hartwell
www.tobaccosmokersofcanada.ca
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