St. Louis County Voters to Decide Smoking Ban

Andrew Nagy
Posted: September 2, 2009

St. Louis County voters will decide this fall whether or not to ban smoking in most indoor public places, paving the way for a possible ban against lighting up in bars and restaurants within the municipality of St. Louis.

According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, the bill voters will see in the booths this November would set a county ban on smoking in indoor public spaces, but exempts casino floors, smoking lounges at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport and establishments that receive 25 percent or less of their gross income from food. The ban has been called "weak" by the American Cancer Society

Earlier this year, St. Louis city leaders flirted with the idea of passing a more stringent ban that would prohibit smoking in any bar or restaurant within city limits. The Board of Aldermen said this ban would only be considered if the entire county passed its own smoking ban. The board reasoned that it wanted to avoid creating an unfair economic environment for businesses.

Lyde Krewson, the sponsor of the proposed St. Louis municipal ban, said Friday in the same Post-Dispatch report that she plans to continue with her proposal when the aldermen return in October.

The city known as "The Gateway to the West" has attempted to ban smoking twice before, in 2005 and 2006, but both attempts were unsuccessful.

See Also: