Smoking ban gets first pass by Jeffersonville City Council

Jeffersonville moved a step closer to becoming smoke free in most public places Monday, when the City Council approved the first reading of a smoking ban ordinance on a 4-2 vote.

The ordinance still faces second and third readings, which could take place when the council meets in regular session Nov. 7.

Paige Vollmer, representing the Clark County Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Coalition and the American Cancer Society, said Jeffersonville is "setting a precedent for the rest of the cities in Clark County."

She pointed out that Cheddar's Casual Cafe, which recently opened on Veterans Parkway in Clarksville, is smoke-free and "you can't even get a seat there."

No one from the public spoke against the ordinance, but during a workshop before the vote, Council President Ron Grooms expressed doubts about whether the council should approve the ordinance.

"My concern about this is the rights of the business person," said Grooms, a self-employed pharmacist. "If they want to allow someone to smoke in that business that is their right. I think in this case the business owner has the right to make that decision and the consumer has the right to make that decision."

Council Vice President Barbara Wilson, the ordinance's sponsor, said, "Anything we can do to keep our children out of places where there is smoking, the better off we are."

Wilson's ordinance would ban smoking in nearly all enclosed public places. Exceptions to the proposed ban include retail tobacco stores, bars, restaurants that serve alcohol and prohibit patrons less and 18 years old and private clubs. Hotels could permit smoking in up to 20 percent of their rooms.

The ordinance does not restrict outdoor smoking, so long as it takes place at least 10 feet from the entrance to a public building.

"I think it's something we've needed to look at for a long time," Councilman Keith Fetz said, adding that public smoking bans in Bloomington, Louisville and Lexington, Ky. have had little or no negative impact on businesses.