Smoking fight redux
Smoking ban campaign kicks off
April 6, 2005
Backers of Columbus’ smoking ban kicked off their campaign against Issue 2 at a rally Tuesday afternoon.
The group, calling itself Citizens for Smoke Free Columbus, urged residents to vote against Issue 2, a measure on the May 3 ballot to exempt bars from the smoking ban. Issue 2 would allow businesses that do at least 65 percent of their business in alcohol to permit smoking.
Columbus voters passed a ban on indoor smoking in November. A group of tavern owners known as BarPAC put Issue 2 on the ballot in March.
The anti-smoking rally took place at Riverside Family Practice Center in North Columbus and included representatives from the American Heart Association and Columbus City Council.
http://columbus.bizjournals.com/
Smoking exemption headed for May ballot
March 3, 2005
By DAN EATON
ThisWeek Staff Writer
For the second time in six months, Columbus voters will answer the question, “To smoke or not to smoke?”
Columbus City Council opted not to enact an exemption for bars from the month-old indoor smoking ban Monday night, instead sending the issue to the same electorate that OK’d the ban last November.
“Voters reaffirmed council’s position a few short months ago,” said Councilwoman Charleta Tavares. “After less than a month of implementation, (bar owners) want to ask voters once again.”
BarPAC, a group of around 100 Columbus bar owners, successfully obtained enough signatures to get the issue on the May ballot.
If approved, businesses that do at least 65 percent of their business in alcohol — essentially bars — would be exempted from the law, which currently prohibits indoor smoking in all public spaces, including bars, restaurants and bowling centers.
The latter two would not qualify for the exemption.
“They say public health trumps all concerns, but they don’t care about the jobs that will be lost,” said Phil Harmon, BarPAC general counsel.
Harmon, who is running for a seat on council, said the exception would be small, affecting only up to 3 percent of businesses covered by the ban.
Several bar owners and employees attended Monday’s council meeting.
Ron Polster, who owns Sinbad’s on the East Side, said he has been losing both customers and employees to taverns in Reynoldsburg and Gahanna, which do not have indoor smoking policies.
Judy Browning, owner of Fitzwilly’s in Northland, said she is losing customers to private clubs, such as the Moose and Elks, which already are exempt from the policy.
“As long as cigarettes are legal, please allow the freedom of choice,” she pleaded. “As much as the loss of income affects us, it will affect city and state revenue, too.”
Harmon said he thinks the exception will be supported by the public because it is a fair compromise.
Last November, voters had an all-or-nothing choice, he said.
Late last month, Hilliard City Council approved an indoor smoking ban that included the bar exemption. Also last November, Toledo voters approved an exemption for bars from its ban.
Dr. Rob Crane, co-chairman of the SmokeFree Columbus Coalition, which proposed the ban to council last summer, said supporters of the ban are gearing up for a campaign similar to the one run the first time around. “We’re asking for one small thing: If you want to smoke, step outside for five minutes,” he said. “The people of Columbus heard that loud and clear. They overwhelmingly supported that.”
In the first month of enforcement, the city’s health department has received more than 500 complaints and have cited one business, Mulligan’s Sports Pub on Smoky Row Road.
http://www.thisweeknews.com/
Smoking Continues In Some Businesses Despite Ban
132 Establishments Have Received Complaints
February 10, 2005
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Some business owners said Wednesday night that they have no choice but to break the law now that the city’s smoking ban is in effect.
Owners told NBC 4’s Mike Bowersock that they are refusing because they think the law is wrong and is ruining their business.
At Cookie’s Place, located on Sullivant Avenue, management claims that 80 percent of the customers were smokers.
“What’s the difference? You’re already going to put us out of business,” said John Chilsom of Cookie’s Place. “If we can’t afford to make our payments, we’re all going to be out of business.”
On the Far East side, there was smoking taking place at Spanky’s Pub. The bar has been cited by the health department twice this week but continues to allow its patrons to smoke, Bowersock reported.
Spanky’s is even renting out ashtrays for $1 a piece to pay the fines, which they are certain will come.
“This is my bar,” said Chris Randall of Spanky’s Pub. “It’s like my house. Why can’t I smoke in here?”
Owners of the bars being cited said they think the complaints against them are coming from other bars. They believe bars in other cities that still allow smoking are phoning in complaints, trying to hurt their businesses even more.
Since the smoking ban went into place, 132 establishments have had complaints called in against them.
http://www.nbc4i.com/news/4184278/detail.html
BarPAC seeks initiative on smoking ban
February 10, 2005
By DAN EATON
ThisWeek Staff Writer
Columbus voters approved the city’s indoor smoking ban last November, but area bar owners want voters to reconsider snuffing out cigarettes in their establishments.
In the same week that the indoor smoking ban went into effect, BarPAC, a group of around 100 Columbus bar owners, filed an initiative petition to exempt businesses with 65 percent of their business in alcohol sales, essentially bars, from the ban.
“There is so much discrimination. It’s so unfair,” said Phil Harmon, general counsel for BarPAC. “Jobs are important to (Mayor Michael B. Coleman). Jobs are important to us.”
The group filed a petition with 12,150 signatures at city hall last week. It needs 4,991 valid signatures to make it on the May 3 ballot.
Harmon, who also is running for a seat on Columbus City Council, reiterated the group’s stance that the law is unconstitutional and called for the state legislature to get involved on the issue.
He also said there is a “high likelihood” the group will appeal the ruling of Franklin County Environmental Judge Harland H. Hale, which said the ordinance was not unconstitutional.
“Jobs. Fairness. Freedom,” Harmon and several BarPAC members chanted outside of Mayor Coleman’s offices.
Council has the option of instituting the exception later this month or sending the issue to the ballot.
Dr. Rob Crane, co-chairman of the SmokeFree Columbus Coalition, which proposed the ban to council last summer, said the issue is about jobs, fairness and freedom, adding that those who work in bars deserve the same protection as those who work in offices and that exempting bars only is not fair to other establishments effected by the ban.
“The people of Columbus have spoken,” Crane said. “How often do you have to run an election? Imagine running the presidential election every six months?”
In November, Columbus voters passed the issue with 55 percent of the vote.
BarPAC members vehemently disagree.
Ben Damceski, owner of a Pizza Hut at 5999 E. Livingston Ave., said his Columbus business is losing customers to businesses across the street in Reynoldsburg, which does not have a ban. “If people don’t want to smoke, then they don’t have to go into a bar,” said Dimche Veljanovski, owner of Bitola Bar & Grill, 5727 Hall Road. “It is wrong to tell people what to do. If the city wants my business to be nonsmoking, they can buy it from me and do what they want with it.”
Dimo Kazmanovski, owner of Traditions on Sawmill Road, said they plan to continue their court battle.
“(Tobacco) is a legal substance,” said Donna Bowles of G.J.’s Lounge on the East Side. “If they don’t like smoke, they should go after the smoking companies.”
http://www.thisweeknews.com
Super Bowl, bars, and smoking
People going to other cities to avoid Columbus ban
February 7, 2005
By TAMARIA L. KULEMEKA, tkulemeka@nncogannett.com
LANCASTER — Watching Super Bowl XXXIX just wouldn’t be the same without a beer and a cigarette — at least that was the thinking of several patrons watching the game at BW-3 Grill & Bar.
Joe Christ was happy to be in Lancaster on Super Bowl Sunday, rather than a Columbus sports bar, where a city-wide smoking ban went into effect on Jan. 31.
“I have been up there twice (since the smoking ban took effect) and it’s completely ridiculous to have to walk outside and smoke,” the 26-year-old said. “It’s our choice if we want to smoke or not. Drinking and smoking go hand in hand. I won’t go there anymore.”
On each occasion, Christ went outside at least 10 times to smoke. Christ and other smokers discussed the “infringement” on their freedom of choice.
“Everybody outside was all pissed off about having to smoke outside,” he said. “As we were out there, people walking past us gave us bad looks — like we were evil and doing something wrong. Like everyone, it’s our right and for other people to judge us is just ridiculous.”
Bremen resident Jenelle Friesner has avoided going to Columbus restaurants and bars all together.
“I used to go there and just eat and smoke and here I can still do it, so I’d rather dine down here,” the 19-year-old said.
Friesner, who isn’t able to drink yet, said she likes being able to go to the bar and hang out with her friends and just smoke.
Elissa Britch of Thornville was surprised when the smoking ban was upheld by voters in the general election in November.
“I didn’t think it’d go through, because there’s so many smokers out there,” the 18-year-old said.
Smoking helps create a “more calm and relaxing” atmosphere, said 21-year-old Justin Smurr.
“I’m boycotting all Columbus areas,” said Smurr, who has been smoking for seven years.
BW-3 manager Jason Kirk said a fair amount of people have traveled from Columbus to the business in the past week.
“We have probably had above average the number of people that come down from up there,” Kirk said. “We’re still waiting for the word to get out more (that smoking is allowed in Lancaster.)”
Kirk added that even those who consider themselves non-smokers don’t seem to mind smoking when they’re out drinking.
“You have that person who doesn’t smoke at all, who will have a few drinks and smoke a cigarette,” he said.
No formal plans have been announced to steer Lancaster towards becoming smoke-free, and 41-year-old Michael Schoett hopes it stays that way.
“I come from a very free country (Germany) and I feel this country is becoming less free with all its regulations,” Schoett said. “Right now, (smokers) are being discriminated against and that’s against the constitution. As long as smoking is legal, we have the right to smoke. If it wasn’t legal, that would be something else.”
Schoett said he would move out of Lancaster if the city went smoke-free.
Kirk doesn’t think the idea of a smoke-free Lancaster would go over very well.
“It’d have to go through a long drawn out process before it happened and if it did, a lot of people would be mad,” Kirk said.
If such a law were enacted, Lancaster resident Shannon Dennison has other options.
“I’d stay at home and party … when I drink, I gotta smoke,” the 27-year-old said.
http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/
Columbus City Council approves 2005 budget
February 3, 2005
By DAN EATON
ThisWeek Staff Writer
Public safety and job growth are the two primary initiatives in Columbus’ $561.3-million budget for 2005.
Columbus City Council unanimously approved the appropriations Monday night, after months of public discussion and meetings.
“We were handed a very good budget by the administration,” said Matt Habash, council president. “It’s a little easier when you bring in more revenue, but this is indicative of the work done in the last few years.”
Council member Kevin Boyce, finance chair, stressed that public safety, job growth and operations efficiency were the city’s three main priorities.
Of the funds, 75 percent are dedicated to public safety, including a 65-member police officer class and a 35-member firefighter class, as well as funding for bike patrols, Community Crime Patrol, the Neighborhood Safety Academy and hot spot policing initiatives, which has accounted for more than 300 arrests in the last two years, according to information from the city.
One of council’s initiatives added into the budget is $2-million aimed at promoting job growth. It would be targeted toward specific small projects such as traffic studies or landscaping that could encourage businesses to come to or stay in Columbus.
Other highlights include:
$39-million for public service, including 117 “snow warriors,” 183 refuse collectors and the popular Neighborhood Pride program, which will visit six new communities this year.
$24.8-million for recreation and parks, an 11-percent increase in funding after several years of cuts, including the opening of Dodge and Lazelle Woods recreation centers and North Bank Park.
$189,000 in the health and human services budget for the enforcement of the city’s indoor smoking ban.
Since 2000, $175-million has been cut from the budget, with 25 percent fewer employees on the general fund, equal to almost 472 fewer positions filled since 2000.
Since Coleman’s first in 2001, budgets have ranged from $532-million to $545-million, while actual expenditures have ranged from $519-million to $528-million.
There have been no tax increases and no layoffs of police, firefighters, “snow warriors” or refuse collection employees.
Council altered its budget process this year by changing how it conducts its budget hearings.
Rather than holding one lengthy meeting in which every department reviewed its budget, the document was broken down into smaller committee meetings where specific areas could be discussed in closer detail.
City officials stressed that though this year’s budget has been better than the last several, there remain concerns on the horizon. Habash said the city receives 9-percent of its revenue from state sources, funds that could be reduced or eliminated in the state’s budget process, something on which city leaders will keep a close eye.
“We’ve done a great job of not making any cuts, but we have to stay ever vigilant,” council member Charleta Tavares said. “We’re happy we haven’t had any layoffs, but we have to be mindful that our needs still grow.”
http://www.thisweeknews.com
Group Submits Petition Against Smoking Ban
BarPAC Says It Has 12,000 Signatures
February 2, 2005
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A group of Columbus bar owners took its next step Wednesday against the newly enacted citywide smoking ban, NBC 4 reported.
The Columbus Bar Owners Political Action Committee, also known as BarPAC, turned in a petition to the City Clerk Office that they hope will allow voters to decide in May if bars should be exempt from the smoking ban.
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DISCUSS: Ban Smoking In Bars, Restaurants?
BarPAC says it has collected more than 12,000 signatures.
“We’re letting them do something in our bars that is a legal substance,” said Donna Vowles, of BarPAC. “We are not letting them smoke dope or anything else, it’s still legal for them to buy a cigarette.”
If granted the exemption, any business that draws 65 percent or more of its gross revenue from alcohol sales would be exempt from the smoking ban.
Previous Stories:
- February 1, 2005: Two More Columbus Suburbs Go Smoke-Free
- January 31, 2005: City’s No-Smoking Section Gets A Lot Bigger
- January 26, 2005: Judge: Smoking Ban Will Stand
- January 26, 2005: Smokers Say Final Goodbye At Columbus Restaurant
State Justice Charged With Drunken Driving
Patrol Says Resnick Failed Sobriety Tests
February 1, 2005
http://www.nbc4i.com/news/4149702/detail.html
Columbus Smoking Ban Goes Into Effect Monday
January 30, 2005
WCPO – Cincinnati,OH,USA
Smokers in bars and restaurants in Columbus will have to put out their cigarettes and cigars after Sunday night.
http://www.wcpo.com/
Group Submits Petition Against Smoking Ban
BarPAC Says It Has 12,000 Signatures
The Columbus Bar Owners Political Action Committee, also known as BarPAC, turned in a petition to the City Clerk Office that they hope will allow voters to decide in May if bars should be exempt from the smoking ban.
DISCUSS: Ban Smoking In Bars, Restaurants?BarPAC says it has collected more than 12,000 signatures.
“We’re letting them do something in our bars that is a legal substance,” said Donna Vowles, of BarPAC. “We are not letting them smoke dope or anything else, it’s still legal for them to buy a cigarette.”
If granted the exemption, any business that draws 65 percent or more of its gross revenue from alcohol sales would be exempt from the smoking ban.
Previous Stories:
- February 1, 2005: Two More Columbus Suburbs Go Smoke-Free
- January 31, 2005: City’s No-Smoking Section Gets A Lot Bigger
- January 26, 2005: Judge: Smoking Ban Will Stand
- January 26, 2005: Smokers Say Final Goodbye At Columbus Restaurant
Patrol Says Resnick Failed Sobriety Tests
February 1, 2005
http://www.nbc4i.com/news/4149702/detail.html
January 30, 2005
WCPO – Cincinnati,OH,USA
Smokers in bars and restaurants in Columbus will have to put out their cigarettes and cigars after Sunday night.
http://www.wcpo.com/
By Martha Leonard
SmokeFree Columbus used a multipronged advertising and public relations campaign to push hard for the ban, while the Central Ohio Restaurant Association mobilized the city’s restaurant owners to take their anti-ban point of view to Columbus City Council. Restaurant owners expressed fears to council members that they would lose customers to nearby suburbs, where restaurants still allowed smoking.
The association also is taking the initiative to train its members and their staffs about the law’s rules. The ordinance calls for signs to be posted and other details that Sokol said no one from the city told restaurants about.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6779982
OH: Columbus Smoking Ban Passes.
 |
| JAMES D . DeCAMP | DISPATCH |
| Kacy Brown, owner of Kacy?s Sports Bar and Grille, said she?s lost 45 percent to 60 percent of her business because of Worthington?s smoking ban. |
It?s a statistic that advocates of Columbus? ban on smoking in public places cite often: 53,000 people die every year from causes related to secondhand smoke.
But no single study has conclusively reached that number. It?s based on several studies.
Dr. Rob Crane, a co-chairman of the SmokeFree Columbus Coalition, called it a ballpark figure. “If you don?t like the number, take the zero off it,” he said. “You still have 5,000 deaths.”
At the same time, anti-ban groups cite studies showing that smoking bans have hurt business in states such as New York, where a ban went into effect last year.
As both sides compete for the Nov. 2 vote that will decide whether Columbus will have a smoking ban in public places, including bars, restaurants and bowling alleys, they?ll produce studies and numbers to try to tip voters their way.
“I do try to avoid the hyperbole of advocacy,” Crane said. “It?s easy to get too crazed about these numbers.”
The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that secondhand smoke contributes to 35,000 heart-disease deaths and 3,000 lung-cancer deaths a year, said Joel London, a spokesman for its Office of Smoking and Health in suburban Atlanta.
“We always take the conservative edge of the range,” he said.
In April, a CDC scientist warned people at risk for heart disease to stay away from places providing indoor smoking, the first time someone from the CDC had advised people to avoid secondhand smoke, London said.
That report was released in conjunction with a survey in Helena, Mont., that the British Medical Journal published in April. The Montana study found that the number of heart-attack admissions to the city?s heart hospital dropped 40 percent for people living and working in Helena while a smoking ban was in effect during the last six months of 2002.
The number of patients who had heart attacks during the six-month period was 24. The average during the same period for years before and after 2002 was 40.
The study was done by Helena doctors Richard P. Sargent and Robert M. Shepard, and Stanton A. Glantz of the University of California at San Francisco.
Economic-impact studies can be a little less clear.
For example, a study by New York City?s finance, health and economic-development departments released in March found that business tax receipts in restaurants and bars were up 8.7 percent and that employment in restaurants and bars had increased by 10,600 jobs since the city?s smoking ban in public places took effect March 30, 2003.
But in June, the New York Nightlife Association and Empire State Restaurant Association released a study saying the smoking ban has cost the state 2,000 jobs and $28.5 million in wages and salaries.
Columbus bar and restaurant owners fear they?ll lose customers. Some in suburbs that have adopted bans say they can already feel it.
Kacy Brown said her E. Wilson Bridge Road sports bar has lost 45 percent to 60 percent of its business since Worthington?s smoking ban went into effect on Sept. 30.
On a typical Friday night before the ban, she would have 50 to 100 customers. At 10:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 15, there were two people.
“Myself and the bartender,” she said.
She complained to the Worthington City Council last week.
In Powell, another suburb with a new smoking ban, Hickory House bartender Sharon Shirley estimates her tips are down by 25 percent because her regular customers who come to watch Ohio State football games aren?t so regular anymore.
“They don?t get up to go to the bathroom,” she said. “They?re not going to go outside to smoke.”
In the meantime, the fight for votes continues.
BarPAC, a coalition of bar owners fighting against the ban, ran ads on radio stations WLVQ (96.3 FM) and WBZX (99.7 FM), both rock stations catering to men, said Phil Harmon, an attorney for the group. His group also will be running newspaper ads asking voters to let bars and restaurants decide whether to allow smoking and plans a noon rally Nov. 1 at City Hall.
Jacob Evans, a spokesman for the Coalition to Can the Ban, said his group will air TV ads beginning Monday that could feature information from economic-impact studies.
Citizens for Smoke Free Columbus have run TV and radio ads featuring doctors touting the benefits of a ban.
mferenchik@dispatch.com
