THE ALEXANDRIA SMOKING BAN IS NOW IN EFFECT

The new Alexandria smoking ordinance, which was which passed on October 4, 2011 and was amended on October 18th went into effect January 1, 2012.

This new smoking ban is an expansion of the Louisiana Smoke-Free Air Act of 2006.

The Town Talk wrote that:

"The city measure requires all enclosed places of employment to be smoke-free by removing the state exemption for bars, gaming facilities, tobacco shops and certain rooms in nursing homes. The ordinance also requires smokers to be at least 25 feet from the entrance to any building when they are smoking. That distance also applies to bleachers and grandstands, arenas, outdoor playgrounds, bus stations and all property owned, leased or operated by the city. The measure prohibits smoking in "common areas" -- at apartment buildings and complexes, in mobile home parks, at condominiums and retirement facilities and nursing homes. Designated smoking areas at these locations will have to be at least 25 feet from the entrance. In all cases the 25-foot rule also applies to a building's functioning windows." (See: "Our View: Alexandria's no-smoking ordinance will test smokers, nonsmokers and employers").

"Whether you smoke or not, the city ordinance affects you -- for the better, we hope." id.

That statement was written, no doubt, by an ignorant non-smoker who is eager to defy logic and common sense to jump on the current neat new cause of our times.

Thumper, who has been at Sharkey's for nearly five years and is a cook and security guard , said he saw what a smoking ban in Toledo, Ohio, did to small, local bars in that community and he estimated that 75 percent of bars went out of business, and he said the same will happen in Alexandria. (See: "Alexandria bar owners mixed over city's smoking ban").


Owner of Sharkey’s Bar and Grill, C.B. Bennett, believes city officials were too worried with being the first in the state to ban smoking in bars to recognize that bar owners were having their rights infringed upon and the city's coffers, much like those of bar owners, will be impacted. id.

"Bennett said he's so sure that his business will be negatively impacted that he's making backup plans to move his bar outside of the city limits so that his customers still will be able to smoke and drink at Sharkey's." id. Bennett said that "When I'm in my office smoking a cigarette, I want them to write me a ticket because that opens the door for legalities". id.

I urge you to read the below posts if you truly want to see just how idiotic this smoking ban is.

See Also:

BRET'S CITY NOTEBOOK FOR OCTOBER 23, 2011



THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF ALEXANDRIA'S NEW SMOKING BAN

ALEXANDRIA CITY COUNCIL PASSES SMOKING BAN: IGNORANCE PREVAILED and the posts linked thereunder

KSYL DISCUSSES THE SMOKING BAN TODAY

A SMOKE FREE ALEXANDRIA and the posts linked thereunder