By Kelsi Peace, Features Editor
A public smoking ban will appear on the ballot Nov. 7, giving voters a chance to voice their opinion to the Abilene City Council in a non-binding vote.
Voters will be asked if they “support the City Council adopting an ordinance prohibiting smoking in all public places and places of employment,” according to the proposal.
Because the vote is non-binding, the ordinance will not automatically go into effect if a majority supports it, which leaves room for the Council to further consider what they think is in the best interest of the city.
Sharon Hicks, city attorney, said the Council placed the issue on the ballot to hear from as many citizens as possible because voters will already be going to the polls.
“What they wanted to do was give the public at large the ultimate opportunity to voice their opinion,” Hicks said. The Council tabled the ban in 2004 after it appeared that exemptions to the ban created unfair competitive advantages. The proposed ban allowed bars to continue to allow smoking and distinguished between restaurants and bars based on food versus alcohol sales, Hicks said. The criteria posed problems when it came to sports bars and restaurants that also offer full bars.
The ban resurfaced when the surgeon general released a warning in June 2006 that no level of second-hand smoke is “risk-free,” Hicks said.
Now proposed wording of the ban does not distinguish between restaurants and bars.
“A couple of exceptions have been discussed, but nothing has been finalized,” Hicks said.
Exceptions may include tobacco shops like The Leaf.
If the ordinance is put into effect, Hicks said, smoking would be prohibited in stadium seats at sporting events, public parks and other events the general public attends.
Hicks said after examining similar policies in other cities, the economic argument did not appear valid, and she cited businesses in El Paso where temporary drops in sales were quickly recovered.
Bill Clamae, owner and manager of The Leaf and ACU alumnus, said he has some concerns over effects the ban may have on his business.
“I think depending on the wording it could hurt my business,” Clamae said.
Business concerns aside, Clamae said he thinks the government is overstepping its bounds and a free market should determine whether smoking is prohibited or allowed.
“The only smoking ordinance we need is a smoking ordinance that says on the door ‘no smoking,'” he said.
Others feel the ban will have minimal effects on business.
Donny King is the operations manager at the Holiday Inn Express on Interstate 20 near campus, and he said that while some customers may be affected if smoking is banned, total business and revenue will not change.
King said he has about six smoking rooms, all of which are usually filled. However, King said, there is never a shortage of clients who want a non-smoking room.
Each night “we turn away as many as we check in,” he said.
Councilman Anthony Williams acknowledged the business community’s concerns over any economic advantages the ban may create but said the council is considering all variables to the issue.
Williams called the issue political, divisive and emotional and said he is anxious to make a decision based on election results.
“I am pleased that we have an opportunity to address something that we should have addressed long ago,” he said.
Williams and Mayor Norm Archibald are the only two council members who were on the council when the ban was first discussed.
“I think that this council is ready to address this issue and other issues that are as-or more-difficult than this will be,” Williams said.
Students who are registered to vote in Abilene should speak with people on both sides of the issue to form an educated opinion, Williams said.
“I think it’s really important for students, and not just students, but for Christian people, to engage in the political process because whenever we don’t, I think that we miss out on opportunities to voice our opinion that will have an opportunity to affect change,” he said.
Justin Morgan, sophomore finance and accounting major from Dallas, has not been following the issue. His initial reaction to the ban is to support it, he said.
Morgan said public places with designated smoking sections sometimes succeed in keeping smoke away from clients; however, in restaurants the sections do not always work, he said.
The ban will also protect children by creating mandatory non-smoking, Morgan said.
Kathleen Pina, senior political science major from San Antonio, was not aware of the issue, but said her initial concerns are economic ones.
Pina called the ban “more family oriented” but said that businesses can be non-smoking now, without an ordinance.
San Antonio, Pina’s hometown, has a similar city ordinance, and she said it works well because of the exceptions it allows for-like tobacco shops.
Hicks said if the Council chooses to pass the ordinance, “there would be ample notice given to the retailers and to the public that have been effected.”
For now, the Council is waiting for election results.
