County-wide Smoking Ban Supporters Hope to Ride Momentum From Win in O'Fallon Ballot

Smoking ban supporters hope to use momentum gained from a victory in O’Fallon on the April 5 ballot to push for a smoking ban in public places throughout St. Charles County.

“The citizens of want smoke-free legislation and have a right to be protected from second-hand smoke,” Carolie Owens, of St. Charles, told the county council during an April 11 council meeting.

Owens was part of a group of people who addressed the St. Charles County Council April 11, wearing blue T-shirts that read, “Everyone has the right to breathe clean air.”

County Councilman Joe Cronin, R-District said he will bring an ordinance that will require businesses to post signs stating whether or not they allow smoking. He said that would ease the transition if St. Charles County adopts a countywide ban.

‘Don’t go in’

Bobbie Caruthers told the county council she enjoys different types of beers and the only place to sample certain varieties is on St. Charles’ Main Street.

“Restaurants clearly stand to gain more than they lose by going non-smoking,” she told the county council.

However, some officials in St. Charles County remain opposed to a smoking ban not only because they believe it will hurt some businesses, but because they said such bans trample on individual rights.

County Councilman Paul Wynn, R-District 4, of O’Fallon, said he believes that a business and property owners should have the right to allow or not allow smoking inside their establishments just as home owners have that same right.

Giving up that right allows a little more government intrusion into citizens’ lives, he said.

“I’m sure not doing this to gain votes,” Wynn said.

The ban passed in O’Fallon with nearly a 75 percent majority.

Wynn said people can protect themselves from second-hand smoke.

“Don’t go in that restaurant,” he said. “Don’t go in that bar.”

If an establishment loses enough business, business owners would ban smoking voluntarily, rather than by government mandate, he said.

Wynn isn’t the only political figure to fight smoking bans despite acknowledging their popularity.

O’Fallon Councilman Jim Pepper, Ward 2, led a fight to oppose the citywide smoking ban.

“People are trying to dictate this to businesses when these people have put no sweat or invested any money into those businesses,” Pepper said.

He compared a restaurant owner to someone who invites guests into their home.

“They invite them in, they don’t force them,” Pepper said. “But they’re saying, ‘I want to be in your business, but I don’t want there to be any smoke there.”

Wynn agreed.

“If opening up a nonsmoking restaurant is such a good idea, why don’t they go ahead and do it? They’ll get rich,” Wynn said.

By ballot or council action

Stacy Reliford, a lobbyist with the American Cancer Society, said they are in the very early stages of advocating for a ban in St Charles County.

“Councilman Joe Cronin said he’s thinking of moving forward,” Reliford said.

Cronin said he would propose requiring businesses to post a sign indicating whether smoking was allowed inside or not, similar to a previous Lake Saint Louis ordinance. He said that ordinance helped ease the transition when Lake Saint Louis passed a smoking ban ordinance in public places.

Reliford said she knows of no plan to move forward with a petition to put a smoking ban on the ballot.

“Council action is always the preferred way,” she said. “St. Charles County is a pretty big county to get petitions in. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

Wynn said he doesn’t believe the issue should go on the ballot.

“We live in a republic, not a democracy,” he said. “People elect us to make decisions. We shouldn’t pass every decision on to the voters.”

Wynn said leadership isn’t about doing the popular thing, but in doing the right thing.

Wynn and Pepper both say people want government to do too much. They both said many people want a “Nanny State,” in which government takes care of all our wants and needs.

“We need to be adults,” Wynn said. “Instead, we want government to take care of everything for us.

 “Where does it end?” Wynn asked. “More people die in car accidents. Are we going to ban cars? People get sick by eating unhealthy food. Are we going to ban junk food?”