RESTAURANT, BAR OWNERS MAY HAVE TO BAN SMOKING — OR BUY LICENSE, IMPROVE VENTILATION
By Nancy A. Simon
Special to Inside
At today's Chicago City Council Health Committee meeting, members will vote on the proposed "substitute" smoking ban ordinance mandating restaurants and bars to post signs as to whether they permit smoking — and if they do, requiring them to pay steep fees to acquire a "smoking license" and requiring them to install a satisfactory ventilation system. To build momentum for the vote, the Lakeview Citizens Council and the American Cancer Society-Chicago (ACS) held a town hall meeting on Monday, Sept. 26, at the Mercury Theater, 3745 N. Southport Ave. More than 65 area residents showed up to listen and interact in the impassioned debate.
If passed, the "Smoke Free Chicago" ordinance will assuredly have a far ranging impact upon restaurant and bar owners, not to mention employees of hospitality venues and patrons.
Many points were aired at the town hall gathering, including the documented risks of second-hand smoke; the right to work in a smoke-free environment; the perceived loss of revenue to businesses should they opt for — or be required to enforce — a smoking ban; and descriptions of the gradual public opinion shift — from negative, to accepting, to even favorable — from residents of cities in which similar bans have been approved.
Representatives from both sides of the issue were invited to participate. Pro-"Smoke Free Chicago" panelists included the sponsor of the original Smoking Ban Ordinance, Ald. Ed Smith (28th); Ald. Tom Tunney (44th); Phoebe Helm, the current chair of the Chicago Area Board for the ACS and the past president of Harry S Truman College; Jim Ludwig, owner of Roscoe's and a respiratory therapist; Mike Friedman, a family physician; and Mary Rondini, a 20-year employee in hospitality venues who, even though she has never smoked, developed phase IV throat cancer. Speaking in opposition was Samuel Sanchez, owner of John Barleycorn restaurant.
As both a politician and the owner of the long-standing Ann Sathers restaurants, Ald. Tunney said, "I want to see smoking eliminated in as far and as wide and as many municipalities as possible. I would like to see a state-wide ban in all public places."
To quell the anxiety of worried business owners, Tunney reported: "Financial reports show that since the ban has been in place revenues have not decreased in New York or L.A. And further in support, a recent poll shows that if Chicago was to go smoke-free, 80 percent more people would eat out."
Dr. Mike Friedman, who has an economic as well as a medical background, spoke of the residual health effects of second-hand smoke, in addition to the cost factors which impact both active and passive (second-hand) smokers.
"A demonstrable link exists between smoking and cancer, as well as many other diseases," Friedman explained. "When your actions violate the rights of others, it's a public health issue. The only fair way to deal with it is to do what other cities have done. It is the concept of 'Buyer Beware.' Patrons should have a choice as to whether they go to a smoking or a non-smoking venue."
After working in the hospitality industry for more than two decades, Mary Rondini woke one morning to find a lump in her throat. Her doctor diagnosed Phase IV Throat Cancer, which led to some $300,000 worth of medical bills, not to mention restrictions upon her personal and professional life. Presently volunteering her time and energy to generate visibility for the ACS' "Smoke Free Chicago" campaign, Rondini led the charge at the gathering by proclaiming, "We have an amazing opportunity before us right now ... We can't take a blind eye to this matter. Chicago is considered one of the great cities. I know that Mayor Daley and the City Council take great pride in Chicago and its cleanliness and want to ensure its sustained beauty."
While no one from the Illinois Restaurant Association was in attendance to lobby on behalf of the continued right to smoke in public forums, restaurant owner Sanchez did speak on behalf of the city's numerous hospitality-driven businesses.
"This is not about whether people should or should not smoke," Sanchez said. "I am here to promote the freedom to choose. I am more in favor of regulating a little harder without taking away the right people should have to select their own actions. I believe the [governmental] effort should be redirected as most of the residual effects of second-hand smoke are coming from the home."
Sanchez suggested reasons as to why other geographic locales may fare better with a smoking ban than Chicago would. "California does not have winters like they do in Chicago. People will start to hear the noise when smokers are pushed to go outdoors."
This past June, Ald. Ed Smith, with assistance from the ACS, first presented the "Smoke Free Chicago" ordinance. The bill was countered by Ald. Burt Natarus (22nd) and Ald. Shirley Coleman (18th), who came up with a modified version they felt would be more palatable to business owners fearful of losing revenue due to smoking prohibitions.
In the substituted ordinance, business owners can avoid a complete smoking ban by purchasing a "smoking license" that permits the use of lit tobacco products on their premises in conjunction with adequate ventilation.
A nonsmoking ordinance currently exists in New York City, Los Angeles and Boston. Ireland and Italy also have implemented measures to stamp out smoking in public forums.
At the town hall meeting, one local resident related: "I lived in New York City before the ban went into effect, approximately one and a half years ago, and their situation is anecdotal for how businesses were affected. In the short term, they may have lost customers but, over time, the people came back and even indicated an appreciation for the cleaner atmosphere within the restaurants and clubs."
Today, the City Council Health Committee will vote. If the "Smoke Free Chicago" ordinance passes, the matter will next move to a vote before the entire City Council. |
