Businesses speak out on smoking ban

Daily Southtown

March 15, 2006

By Gregg Blesch

A movie about the tobacco industry opens Friday.

It's not a thriller like 1999's "The Insider," in which shadowy Big Tobacco goons menace a whistle-blower (a pudgy Russell Crowe) and his family.

This one is a comedy. "Thank You For Smoking" stars Aaron Eckhart as a tobacco spokesman who gets paid to say smoking doesn't kill people.

That's funny, right?

Maybe that's why no one has bothered to fight a Cook County smoking ban, which the board of commissioners may pass today.

In 60 days, smokers would have to take the habit outside — at least 15 feet outside.

Though smokers were kicked to the curb in Chicago in January, the city's ban gives bars and restaurants with bars a two-year reprieve.

That's not the case with the county's version, though Commissioner Elizabeth Gorman (R-Orland Park) is proposing amendments to make it so.

Either way, it's only a matter of time.

"It's coming," said nonsmoker Mike Halleran, whose family owns Orland Bowl.

"I do believe, in general, society is willing to get on with this," Halleran said. "But it's not going to be an easy transition by any means. There's a lot of businesses that are going to get hurt."

His might not be one of them. Orland Park has a 1989 ordinance on its books that lightly restricts smoking (it's not allowed in elevators and big restaurants must have no-smoking sections).

Local ordinances would trump the county's.

But Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley, the Chicago Democrat leading the charge, promises to shame any village that tries to dodge the county's will.

According to the American Lung Association, 87 percent of lung cancer deaths are caused by smoking.

Each year, second-hand smoke is responsible for 3,000 lung cancer deaths, and as many as 65,000 deaths caused by cardiovascular disease.

The body count fuels ill-will against smokers and their right to partake anywhere someone might inhale their exhaust.

Those who make a living selling what's still, after all, a legal product wonder how long they'll last.

Politicians looking to bring in more money without getting too much flak can goose taxes on tobacco products.

Cook County just doubled its cigarette tax from $1 to $2 a pack.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich wants to raise $10 million with a tax increase on cigars.

As a bonus, each tax increase can be sold as a public-health tool. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention even identifies price increases as an effective way to deter people from smoking.

Some legislators may oppose the taxes in defense of their constituent retailers.

But who wants to be in favor of smoking?

Under the county's ban, even tobacco shops will be no-smoking zones, though Quigley said he intends to carve out an exception for them down the road.

Qusay Froukh has owned Smoker's Haven in Orland Park for 11 years, selling mostly cigars, humidors and pipe tobacco, but also garden variety smokes.

Customer John Wright was buying a pack of Ashton cigarillos.

"Well, I guess you can have these back," he said jokingly.

But seriously, Froukh said after Wright left, he's just hoping his business lasts through the end of the year.

If smoking is so dangerous, he said, make tobacco products illegal.

A carton of Marlboros, on sale, costs $60, including all taxes — nearly twice what the same carton would cost in Will County, Froukh said.

"Somebody must stand up and say, 'Enough is enough,'" Froukh said. "God knows where this is going."

Copyright 2006, Daily Southtown

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