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Pasadena Tobacconist Responds to Smoking Ban

Posted: Thursday, May 08, 2008

By Gregory Mottola

When the city of Pasadena, California, proposed a smoking ban in April, local tobacconist Anto Kamarian vowed to Cigar Insider that he "will not hold back because this is my livelihood. I have several lawyers and will make this a $20 million or even $50 million lawsuit."

On May 5, the Pasadena City Council voted unanimously in favor of an outdoor smoking ban. The details of the bill have yet to be finalized, as the city attorney will be drafting the specific language of the bill and presenting it to the city council, but the ordinance is expected to prohibit outdoor smoking at restaurants and bars with outdoor smoking sections as well as prohibit smoking within 25 feet of any business entrance.

An incensed Kamarian felt that Tuesday's meeting on the matter was unfairly biased, maintaining that he, and other opponents of the smoking ban, had only two minutes per person to make their cases that such a ban would hurt local business. The council disagreed on the basis of a study conducted by Pasadena's Department of Health. The study was attempted to measure the economic impact of similar outdoor smoking bans on other California cities.

"The study is flawed and misleading," asserted Kamarian. "All they did was ask the city manager of Calabasas if the smoking ban was hurting business; they did not poll actual businesses. We've asked for copies of the study but still have not received them."

Kamarian believes that there is still hope. "There is still a possibility that we can change the city's mind," he said. He is planning on calling upon local businesses to put pressure on the city attorney to draft the final bill with exemptions for outdoor restaurants, bars and caf�s. As for any legal retaliation, Kamarian says he is waiting to see what final legislation passes before he brings a massive lawsuit against the city of Pasadena.