Smoking Ban Coming to Indy?
Topic: Indianapolis In the News
Posted: Tue, Feb 8, 2005 
After being initially shot down in late '03, new smoking ban legislation is being discussed in the City-County Council with renewed fire. Last night Proposal NO. 45, 2005 (pdf) was introduced.
By now, those that care about the issue have heard the talking points, the ordinance will ban smoking in areas including:
- Sports arenas
- Shopping Malls
- Places of employment
- Resturants
- Parks
- ATM machines
- Laundromats?!?
If this is the first time you've seen the list, you are either cheering or groaning. In either case, take it up with your City-County Council member.
What I'd like to understand better is how this ban will effect the city. I've seen people on TV in local bars claiming that a no-smoking ban will kill the bar scene. Really? There are nearly 2000 no-smoking ordinances across the country today. Have smokers migrated from those cities to smoking-friendly cities? Too, the entire country of Ireland has also adopted a no-smoking ban. How has an entire country that stereotypically thrives on the bar scene coped? Has there been a mass exodus from there too?
My guess is that this ordinance likely has little to do with smoking and has a whole lot to do with liability. Specifically, the City-County's liability. Sooner or later there will be a break-through second-hand smoke law suit that brings awards similar to the ones we saw in the 90's to non-smoking victims of second-hand smoke. And where will these millions come from? (hint: not the smokers) The millions will come from the cigarette manufactures (again) and the establishments that allowed the smoking ... and just maybe, the local/state/national government will get wrapped in as well due to their failure to pass legislation when they had the chance.
I have lived in other cities that have passed less strict versions of the proposed ban. One solution that seemed to work well was a grandfathering program where all of the bars and restaurants operating before the ban could continue offering smoking to their patrons. All new establishments were smoke free. This solution offered choices but at the same time clearly defined a position -eventually, smoking will not be allowed. A more gradual approach would be easier to stomach.
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Comments
1. Feb 8, 05 10:12 AM | Steph Mineart said:
When they covered this on WISH-TV morning news, I thought their coverage was lopsided - they interviewed a smoker out in a restaurant and the owner of the Slippery Noodle Inn who was vehemently opposed to the ban. They only pro- point of view they got was from the council member introducing the ban. The opponents got to talk about their "rights": their right to choose where to smoke, their right to run their business as they please. Nobody mentioned, though, that your right to smoke ends where my lungs start.
2. Feb 8, 05 10:25 AM | Rachel Wolfe said:
Amen to that. I hope this ban passes.
3. Feb 8, 05 04:27 PM | Steph Mineart said:
An article in the New York Times about the smoking ban there, and how people are getting used to it.
http://tinyurl.com/6gwad
4. Feb 9, 05 09:15 AM | Michael Packer said:
Enh. Yeah - people adapt. But somehow it seems strange to go into a bar and have it not be smokey. Especially for the kinds of bars I go to. The only exception is Radio Radio on the south side. When the joint opened, they had some of the best air-filtration systems in the city eating up cigarette smoke. The owner was still tired of the smoke, so he instituted his own no-smoking policy.
5. Feb 23, 05 11:51 AM | Steph Mineart said:
This bill got gutted considerably, down to just being a bill about providing non-smoking areas in restaurants. The sponsor said it was because he knew the original wouldn't pass.
http://www.indystar.com/articles/1/224383-1651-103.html
6. Feb 23, 05 08:28 PM | Brent Mundy said:
Yeah, I just saw this in the paper when I got home tonight. Incremental progress IS something, but man, the bill's sponsor really dropped the ball. Sometimes when you are faced with an impossible situation it is better to make a stink of it rather than roll over and let it pass unnoticed. If the guy sponsoring the bill doesn't have enough balls to stand up for the bill, how can you expect anyone else to stand up for it?
I'll have to check and see if I voted for him... damn straight-ticket voting
7. Feb 24, 05 10:38 AM | Michael Packer said:
Aren't there already smoking/non-smoking areas in restaurants? Or is that just something restaurants do out of courtesy and not legality? A friend who smokes was on a bit of a soapbox, complaining that the ban was telling him more or less how to live his life (or something). When given the arguement on the side of "well, second hand smoke kills non-smokers" he pointed out that so does pollutants from cars - yet we have no form of auto inspection in Indiana. So maybe the sponsor was just being realistic.
8. Mar 2, 05 08:40 PM | Jennifer Bortel said:
Smoking sections in restaurants -- please! As a wise man once said, having a smoking section in a restaurant is like having peeing section in a pool.
I was thrilled when the (inexplicably torn-down and rebuilt) Steak-n-Shake at 86th and Westfield instituted a no-smoking policy. Before, they had these little glass panels separating the smokers from the non-smokers. It was utterly stupid.
And speaking of pollutants from cars, why DON'T we have emission inspections in Indy? As a runner, it's at times nauseating to run near traffic, even on a sleepier street.
9. Mar 12, 05 10:39 PM | Steve Straiger said:
It's too bad this got watered down here in Indy. The bill in Bloomington gave existing bars X number of years before they had to go totally non-smoking. Well, Jan 1 2005, was that official date and I must say that my 3 trips to Nicks so far here in 2005 have been wonderful in that non-smoking atmosphere.
According to Wendy at Nicks, it hasn't hurt business at all. It is still swamped and THE place to be on IU game days.