[C-U Smokefree] FWD NEWS ARTICLE: Clearing the air

[kdrea at lungil.org]

This www.dailyherald.com news story was forwarded to you by

Kathy Drea
kdrea at lungil.org
This is a good article about clean indoor air in Illinois.

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Clearing  the air 
By John Patterson Daily Herald State Government Editor

SPRINGFIELD - From Chicago to Champaign, a growing number of communities,
including several suburbs, are considering smoking bans.

Recent success by anti-smoking groups prohibiting smoking in restaurants
and nearly every other public place in Skokie and Wilmette have spurred
petition drives and proposals in nearly a dozen Illinois communities.

The next likely hot spot for the debate could be Arlington Heights.
A smoking ban similar to Wilmette's was recently introduced by a village
trustee and is expected to be debated early next year. Evanston also
is poised to take up a smoking ban that would snuff out cigarettes,
cigars and pipes everywhere except bars and bowling alleys.

Chicago is again considering a ban after efforts were shelved earlier
this year. Everything from online petition drives to local ordinances
have been floated in Hoffman Estates, Oak Park, DeKalb, Champaign
and Urbana.

The debate in Illinois mirrors what's happening throughout the nation.
Considered an East Coast curiosity or West Coast liberal fad when
Delaware and California took action during the past decade, the novelty
has largely worn off the idea of banning smoking.

Anti-smoking groups tally more than 100 cities, including several
top tourist stops, that have snuffed out smoking in recent years,
including Boston, New York City, and Los Angeles. At least seven states
either have or are on the verge of enacting statewide bans.

"I think it's becoming more of the norm," said Arlington Heights
Trustee Steve Daday, sponsor of that community's smoking ban. He notes
that several upscale and progressive restaurants already ban smoking.

Several Lake County restaurants recently went smoke free for a day
as part of the Great American Smoke Out. Officials there estimate
nearly 350 of the county's 2,000 restaurants already prohibit smoking.

Proponents offer examples like these to blunt criticism that smoking
bans will shutter restaurants and bars or send them scurrying to communities
that allow smoking.

The Illinois Restaurant Association represents 6,000 eating establishments
throughout the state and is the leading opponent of smoking bans.
Still suffering the effects of an economic slowdown and about to be
hit with a minimum wage increase, the last thing its members can afford
is to close the door on patrons who smoke, the association argues.

"Our argument is let the customer decide," said Colleen McShane,
the association's president. "I don't know what the problem is. People
have choices here."

McShane said if Illinois holds out, the negative effects of smoking
bans elsewhere will emerge. She disputes comparisons to California,
saying it's easy to send smokers outside restaurants there because
the weather's always nice. Bars and nightclubs will be hardest hit
in Illinois, and she doesn't see any compromise coming.

"The proponents argue health. The opponents argue business. So,
we're never going to agree," McShane said.

The suburbs are the front lines of this debate for two reasons.
First, only 20 communities in the state are empowered to ban smoking
under state law and most are in the Chicago area. Second, supporters
say they are finding increased support in the suburbs.

When state clean air standards went into effect in 1990, almost
all communities were barred from enacting anything stricter. Only
the 20 communities already with some form of smoking law on their
books were exempted. Skokie and Wilmette are both on the list. Others
include Chicago, Arlington Heights, Schaumburg, Des Plaines, Downers
Grove, Elgin, Hoffman Estates, and Elmhurst.

State law would have to change to allow others to consider smoking
bans. An attempt to do that was twice voted down by an Illinois House
committee earlier this year, but supporters said they'll try again
next year.

"The game plan certainly by the public health community is twofold,"
said Janet Williams, chairwoman of the policy committee for the American
Lung Association of Metro Chicago and a member of the Illinois Coalition
Against Tobacco. "To work with these existing communities and go 100
percent smoke free, and at the same time use their momentum and say,
'Hey every community deserves this right, not just Skokie, not just
Wilmette.' "

And if the suburbs go smokeless, that puts pressure on Chicago to
do the same.

"I think that the more suburban communities that address this issue
and provide 100 percent smoke-free workplaces, it makes it so Chicago
can no longer maintain its unpopular stance of being the largest city
in the country that still allows smoking," Williams said.

Her group is not pushing for a statewide ban, but rather wants the
law changed so more communities can enact their own smoking standards.
A statewide ban would face a severe political challenge.

California and New York may have snuffed out smoking but Illinois'
political system remains unique. While smoking is outlawed in public
buildings, those prohibitions don't apply to the Illinois Senate chamber
where Senate President Emil Jones Jr., a Chicago Democrat, is among
the members who light up.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich, a non-smoker, said during his 2002 campaign
that he did not support a statewide smoking ban.

Not every community on the current list of 20 is dealing with this
issue.

Downers Grove Village Manager Riccardo Ginex said no one's talked
about it there.

Schaumburg Mayor Al Larson said he's surprised there's been no talk
of banning smoking in his city given the number of restaurants.

"It's not come up at this point," Larson said.

Ban: Restaurants remain opposed





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