02/21/2007

Smoking ban snuffed out

County Board decides not to study proposal

By Brian Mcgillivary

bmcgillivary@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — Grand Traverse County residents concerned about secondhand smoke won't get any relief from the Grand Traverse County Board.

The county board on Tuesday refused on a 5-4 vote to study the possibility of preventing exposure to secondhand smoke with a county-wide ordinance to ban smoking in public places and all businesses, except for restaurants and bars.

Citing health concerns, several members of the public urged the board to adopt a smoking ban. No one from the public spoke against an ordinance.

"Any commissioner who thinks there is no great problem with breathing secondhand smoke should be run out of office,” said Marc Ryan, of Traverse City.

Commissioners Addison "Sonny” Wheelock, Bruce Hooper and Dick Thomas said the measure isn't about health effects but about more regulation on businesses.

Thomas called it "more big brotherism.”

Hooper said smokers carry enough of a stigma without "criminalizing smoking.”

Commissioner Larry Fleis dismissed studies linking secondhand smoke to premature death, calling such studies "supposition.” He said a smoking ban was something expected from the former Soviet Union.

"I'm disappointed, but it's what I figured,” said Commissioner Herb Lemcool who has pushed for a smoking ban with past boards.

"With this current board you are not going to get it done,” he said. "We'll wait two years (for the next election) and try again.”

Traverse City officials last month asked the county to consider adoption of a smoke-free ordinance.

City Manager Richard Lewis said experts told the city a ban would be more beneficial if it was county-wide.

If the county did not back such a plan, city commissioners planned to consider a city-wide ordinance,

City Commissioner Ralph Soffredine said he was disappointed but not surprised by the county's action. He said the city commission should continue to pursue its own ordinance.