Smokers Want Legislatures To Butt Out

Smoking Ban American Cancer Society A bill that would ban smoking statewide is making its way through the legislature while some are hoping it gets snuffed out.

by Diana Lucio

Published: Fri, May 02, 2008 - 8:18 pm CST Last Updated: Fri, May 02, 2008 - 8:39 pm CST

State Senator Vivian Davis Figures has been fighting tooth and nail for over a decade, to pass a state wide smoking ban.
Figures told News Five, "It doesn't hurt anybody for no one to smoke, but it hurts everybody within breathing range if one person smokes and it's been proven."

The proposal would ban smoking from most public places like stores, malls, arenas and restaurants. It would also prohibit smoking within 10 feet from restaurant doors. But Todd Hicks at the Hurricane Brewery says they already accomodate non smokers. He says the ban would only turn smokers away."You can't just you know stop a common practice that people have enjoyed when they go to their local pub, "Said Hicks.
But Bo Bishop with Baumhower's Wings in Mobile says most customers want a smoke free environment. So he is for it."Obviously you're going to upset some people that would rather smoke in an establishment, but if it's a state law and everybody has to abide by the same law, then it's not really affecting one business more than it's affecting another," Said Bishop.
Figures says bars that make no more than 20 percent of their revenue from food sales will be exempt. The bill, approved by the senate on Wednesday, is now on its way to the State House of Representatives. If approved, Alabama would become the 27th state to ban smoking.

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justme Says:

Sat, May 03, 2008 at 8:15 pm

I understand what she is trying to do, however I don’t understand why she willfully wants to hurt everyone involved, smoking is already banned at malls, arena’s and in stores and anywhere people are grouped together for functions. Restaurants are already smoke free if they want to be, bars are smoke free if they want to be. But they will tell you that smokers are friendlier, leave bigger tips, and frequent them more often than nonsmokers. Now I have a ?, since more and more people are dying because of self inflicted alcohol abuse just like smokers and their drunkiness is thrust upon everyone they meet, drive into, lame, kill, families destroyed, futures destroyed, health care expense, courts tied up, etc. WHY is this not a major concern, and does not have the same outrage as is shown smokers. Then how about speeders, people with bad attitudes, kids who fight, spousal abuse, etc.