Chicago Smoking Ban (6/28/05)

AS PRINTED IN THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE ON 7/1/05

CHICAGO ALDERMEN ACT TO BAN SMOKING

I'm a Chicagoan living in Los Angeles. When smoking was first banned in restaurants and bars here, smokers freaked out and restaurant and bar owners feared that their businesses would be ruined. For the seven years since the ban, the same size crowds have continued to flock to the bars and restaurants. The ban did not hurt the economy. Colleen McShane of the Illinois Restaurant Association stated in the article that Jack's in Skokie has been hurt by Skokie's smoking ban ("Aldermen act to ban smoking," News, June 30). A piecemeal ban, suburb by suburb, can hurt business due to the ease at which a smoker can travel to the next suburb where smoking is still allowed. A giant city ban or entire statewide ban, however, essentially leaves smokers with the option of staying home or smoking outside. Human nature and statistics show that smokers will not choose to stay home.
Luber