County smoking ban moves fast:
Could be approved Wednesday,
affect 100 suburbs
Chicago Sun-Times
March 14, 2006
By Steve Patterson
A sweeping smoking ban is on track to hit suburban Cook County in eight
weeks -- threatening to outlaw the lighting up of cigarettes, pipes
and cigars in bars, restaurants, bowling alleys and indoor workplaces
in dozens of towns.
Forget about a two-year grace period or exemptions for some bars and
restaurants, as is being done in Chicago.
This plan would provide no courtesies and take effect just 60 days from
when it's approved by the county board.
That vote is expected Wednesday, as a county board committee voted 11-0
on Monday to support the ban and send it to the full 17-member board.
The ban would apply to all unincorporated areas of the county and any
city or village -- including home-rule communities -- that haven't passed
their own smoking ordinance, county attorneys said.
That means a ban soon could affect more than 100 communities.
"This is totally beyond reason," said Garnet Dawn, Midwest
regional director of the Smoker's Club, a national group created to help
fight bans like this. "I'm not sure what Cook County's trying to
pull, but they're going to have one whopper of a fight on their hands."
EVEN A SMOKER BACKS THE BAN
The preliminary passing of the ban came without so much as a whimper
of opposition Monday, as county Commissioner Mike Quigley ushered it
through on the heels of a similar ban passed by the city last year.
Quigley said the county ban, co-sponsored by most of the board, "does
follow the city, but we have a better and stronger ban."
Diana Hackbarth, of the Illinois Coalition Against Tobacco, said it's "a
historic ordinance," while even Commissioner Joseph Mario Moreno
-- a smoker -- asked to be added as a co-sponsor to the measure.
The bill also has the support of County Board President John Stroger
and his Democratic rival, Forrest Claypool, along with Republicans.
Also Wednesday, the board is expected to vote on a separate bill to
ban smoking in any county vehicle or building -- including break rooms
and judge's chambers.
"The wagons are being circled on the smoking issue," said
Moreno, adding he hopes to quit after the March 21 primary. "We
have to send a strong message to our society that we can't tolerate the
costs of tobacco-related illnesses in the private sector or in our government."
Though Chicago faced much opposition in passing its smoking ban, once
it was through, those same critics urged county- and even state-wide
bans, to lessen impact of smokers fleeing the city for suburban bars
and restaurants.
RECENTLY ADDED $1 TAX
Mark Fowler, executive director of the Northwest Municipal Conference,
said his group of northwest suburban mayors has been waiting to see what
the Legislature might do before deciding whether to craft local anti-smoking
ordinances. His group now might have to act sooner, given the county's
proposal.
Berwyn Mayor Michael O'Connor said the issue "wasn't on the front
burner" in his community, but likely will be soon if the county
board finalizes the ban.
The county ordinance would put enforcement responsibility on health
inspectors and local cops, causing some commissioners to express concern
about how well the restrictions would be policed.
Violators would face a $100 fine, jumping to $500 for a second infraction
and $2,500 each time after, with business owners also facing penalties
for allowing smokers to puff away while indoors.
Fines collected would go toward educational programs aimed at showing
smoking's health hazards.
The County Board just balanced its budgets on the backs of smokers,
adding a $1 tax per pack and driving the county's overall cigarette tax
to $2 a pack.
Copyright 2006, Chicago Sun-Times, Inc.
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