Response to Mr. Dolan

Mr. Dolan,

My response to your e-mail bounced back. I hope you check back with this blog to read this answer:

I am not against bar and restaurant smoking bans. I simply believe that they should be imposed by the business owner, not the government. My favorite city bar just opted to go smoke-free. I am not complaining.

Smoke in bars can also be greatly reduced by affordable air filtration machines. I believe bar owners should also be allowed that option. Chicago aldermen and bar owners thought they would able to allow smoking if they installed sufficient air filtration measures. That is why the Chicago ban passed 46-1. But antismoking groups made sure that the filtration exemption was removed from the state wide ban.
http://www.air-quality-eng.com/ http://egov.cityofchicago.org/webportal/COCWebPortal/COC_ATTACH/MunicipalCode7-32_1.html#7_32_080

Furthermore, when adults have no social "public" places to smoke, they tend to smoke more in private places. This has the effect increasing the overall exposure of small children to smoke.
http://www.ifs.org.uk/publications.php?publication_id=3523

I believe the smoking ban decision can be left to the free market in St. Louis. Government imposed smoking bans have come and gone throughout American history. I don't think these will last. We really don't need them. Remember those smoke-free good times at the Atomic Cowboy shown on the front of the Post happened without a government ban.

Sincerely,

Bill Hannegan