Jackson Hole says NO to ban
IPCPR Says Proposed Jackson Smoking Ban Like ‘Bridge to Nowhere’
Jackson Hole, Wyoming? October 30, 2008 – It’s like the ‘bridge to nowhere.’
That’s what the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association says about a proposal being considered by the Teton County Board of Health that could lead to a ban on smoking in bars and restaurants in the Jackson Hole, Wyoming area.? Why is a smoking ban not necessary?? Because all but one such establishment do not permit smoking on their premises.
“This proves that the marketplace is effective in deciding its own business practices.? What makes that all the more significant is that business owners – not legislators or regulators – have the constitutional right to determine whether or not to allow smoking on their business premises while their employees and customers have the right to work in or patronize them,” said Chris McCalla, legislative director of IPCPR.
Initial discussions regarding the proposed county-wide smoking ban began at the Board’s Tuesday meeting (Oct. 28) and are expected to continue at the its November meeting.
“In addition, it is important to note that, despite the twisted claims trumpeted by anti-tobacco forces, health aspects related to the kind of incidental secondhand smoke that one might encounter at a bar or restaurant are a non-issue according to the Surgeon General and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration,” McCalla said.
McCalla was referring to the Surgeon General’s 2006 report that stated 108 times on its 707 pages that the health ramifications of secondhand smoke are inconclusive.? He also cited OSHA’s establishment of safe exposure levels for secondhand smoke and reports from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory that confirm results of air quality testing of secondhand smoke in bars and restaurants as “considerably below limits established by OSHA.”
“The Jackson Hole Town Council has it right:? a smoking ban is not necessary.? The County Board of Health should be devoting its resources to more important matters,” McCalla suggested.
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May 19, 2007
BY ALLEN BEST
BY ALLEN BEST
JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. – The Jackson Town Council has refused to enact a ban on smoking in public places. The proposal would have included not only businesses, but also all parks and outdoor facilities such as baseball fields, reports the Jackson Hole News & Guide.
Councillor Meilissa Turley said she “votes with her feet” by not patronizing the three remaining bars in Teton County that still allow smoking. No restaurants allow smoking.
Larry Hartnett told councilors it’s also a matter of principles. “I am not a smoker, and I don’t like going into places where there is smoke, but one thing I am particularly fond of is freedom,” he told the council.
The Teton County Board of Public Health is mulling the idea of classifying tobacco smoke as a toxic substance. The legality of that declaration is being explored.
To smoke and to smoke not
Planet Jackson Hole
Volume 3, No. 25
June 8-14, 2005
JACKSON’S FREE NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
www.planetjh.com
(Page 3:)
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Planet Jackson Hole
Volume 3, No. 25
June 8-14, 2005
JACKSON’S FREE NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
www.planetjh.com
(Page 3:)
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Lander’s landmark watering hole, the Lander Bar and Grill, has packed up its ashtrays and gone smoke-free. The Lander Bar has joined at least 17 other Lander food service businesses that prohibit lighting up. Statewide, the percentage of smoke-free restaurants has grown to 68 percent, up from 45 percent five years ago, according to Wyoming Department of Health officials.
“The main driving force behind the decision is the health of my employees,” said Lander Bar owner Jim Mitchell, who lives in Jackson and also owns the smoke-free Cowfish restaurant, also in Lander.
Owing to the Lander Bar’s traditional “Wild West” atmosphere, Mitchell said he resisted making the change until he started losing good employees to smoke-free establishments.
“The Mangy Moose here in Jackson went smoke-free a couple of years ago, and I find I go out there to listen to music,” Mitchell said. “I just think it will eventually happen everywhere.”
On the other hand, those who oppose the move toward a smoke-free society might consider attending the International Smokers Rights Conference scheduled for June 27-29 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nev. In the interest of civil liberties, private property owners’ rights, and healthcare issues, the inaugural conference will serve as a clearinghouse and workshop for information on tobacco regulation, political activism, and emerging public policy issues.
Garnet Dawn, the Midwest Regional Director of the Smoker’s Club, Inc., blames the “supposed” harm caused by second-hand smoke for anti-smoking regulations in the private and public sectors. “However, they have never been able to prove that one death was caused by second-hand smoke,” she said. “A society of sheep must in time beget a government of wolves,” Dawn concluded, quoting 20th-century French statesman and journalist Bertrand de Jouvenel.
For information about the conference visit the web site www.smokersclubinc.com or e-mail info@smokersclub.com. To either congratulate or chastise Jim Mitchell at the Lander Bar – enjoy a smoke-free beer or burger – visit 126 Main St. or call (307) 332-7009.
– John Allgood
http://www.planetjh.com/issues/2005_06_08.pdf
http://www.planetjh.com/issues/2005_06_08.pdf
