Rowlett approves stricter smoking ban

by PegNews wire

ROWLETT — Following much public input and weeks of discussion, Rowlett now has a stricter smoking ordinance following a 4 to 3 vote by the City Council to tighten up smoking restrictions in the city.

The new ordinance, which will become effective on May 1, 2009, is similar to the recently adopted stricter smoking restrictions implemented in the City of Dallas.

On January 20 during a work session discussion, the Council instructed the City Manager to have staff draft an ordinance similar to Dallas’ new smoking ordinance, incorporating the input received from citizens through emails, letters, calls and the January 6 public hearing.

The new ordinance includes the following:

Places smoking is prohibited

• Indoor or enclosed areas

• Within 15 feet of an indoor/enclosed area

• Any area designated non-smoking by the owner/operator/person in control and marked with a no smoking sign

Note: Bars, currently defined as having at least 75% of gross annual sales of alcohol, are grandfathered.

Exceptions

• A private residence (except when used as a childcare, adult daycare, or health care facility)

• A stage/set of a production company of a television program, a theatrical

• presentation, or movie

• A cigar bar that was lawfully operating on February 3, 2009

• A tobacco shop

• An unenclosed outdoor seating area

• A private, rented guest room designated as "smoking" (with additional stipulations)

The ordinance will take effect on May 1, 2009, following an extensive public information campaign to allow time to raise awareness of the new ordinance and provide comprehensive education for citizens and the business community.

Source: City of Rowlett

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Anonymous

CarolT, says:

The anti-smokers lie through their teeth. More than 50 studies show that human papillomaviruses cause over ten times more lung cancers than they pretend are caused by secondhand smoke. Passive smokers are more likely to have been exposed to this virus, so the anti-smokers' studies, which are all based on nothing but lifestyle questionnaires, have been cynically DESIGNED to falsely blame passive smoking for all those extra lung cancers that are really caused by HPV.

http://www.smokershistory.com/hpvlung...

The anti-smokers have committed the same type of fraud with every disease they blame on smoking and passive smoking, as well as ignoring other types of evidence that proves they are lying, such as the fact that the death rates from asthma have more than doubled since their movement began.

http://www.smokershistory.com/newview...

And it's a lie that passive smoking causes heart disease. AMI deaths in Pueblo actually ROSE the year after the smoking ban.

http://www.smokershistory.com/etshear...

The government has no right to restrict peoples' liberty without a compelling justification. The anti-smokers have no such justification, so THEY COMMITTED SCIENTIFIC FRAUD TO DECEIVE THE PUBLIC.

Anonymous

10 months ago
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generalsn, says:

Grandfathering a bar will make it difficult to sell the place when the current owners want to retire. Hopefully, a group of anti smokers will want to give the owners a decent price for it.