Commentary; Posted: 8/18/04

In smoking debate, do whatís best for public

By Don Heinzman

Now the ban-smoking pleas are coming to suburban community city councils.

Since the city of Bloomington, the fourth largest city in the state, has clamped down on smoking in bars and restaurants, the question is up in the air for the rest of the suburban communities to make their bars and restaurants smoke-free.

Thereís no question that smoking tobacco products is bad for your health. The American Cancer Society estimates each year 390,000 Americans die from the effects of smoking.

It is the major single cause of cancer mortality. The study says that 30 percent of all cancer deaths and 87 percent of lung cancer deaths can be traced to smoking tobacco products.

Doctors say that smoking is the major cause of heart attacks and strokes.

So, how much should local city councils get into peopleís lives by telling them where they can smoke? It smacks too much of Big Brother, says one mayor.

Pro-smokers say they should be allowed to smoke if they want to take the risk.

The Burnsville City Council recently confronted the issue. The leaders said they arenít interested in a local ban unless the Minnesota Legislature adopts a ban for every city.

Mayor Elizabeth Kautz said, ìIn Burnsville, we think if youíre going to look at a smoking ban and not create competitiveness between cities, it should be a state law, like in the state of California so we have a level playing field.î

In Elk River, Mayor Stephanie Klinzing said the issue of banning smoking in bars and restaurants has come up and the majority of the council opposes it, as does she. Mayor Klinzing prefers to let the local businesses decide if they want to ban smoking in their restaurants and bars.

Burnsville City Council member Teresa Daily says market forces, not government, should dictate business smoking policies.

The ban-the-smokes advocates say sometimes government has to act to keep the innocent from being harmed by others. They cite that government regulates driving, use of seat belts, drinking alcoholic beverages, the sale of weapons and hunting.

Why shouldnít government regulate and ban smoking that can be harmful to the health of others?

For community leaders, it comes down to penalizing owners of businesses that force their customers to go to other communities where smoking is not banned. So they argue that a regional government like the state, the metropolitan region and the counties should ban smoking from bars and restaurants.

A Dakota County Commissioner says she is discussing a regional ban with officials in St. Paul and Hennepin and Ramsey counties.

Jeanne Weigum, president of the Association of Nonsmokers of Minnesota, predicts that one way or another smoking bans in bars and restaurants will sweep the state.

All this comes down to the role of government, which is supposed to be responsive to the wishes of the people. Weigum says pressure for the smoking bans will have to come from the citizenry.

So far, this outcry hasnít come from suburban communities. Until it does, restaurant and bar owners should take the lead and do whatís best for their customersí health.

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