A lawsuit was filed last Friday challenging the constitutionality the
Kansas City smoking ban. If successful, this suit might have a effect on a
St. Charles smoking ban. The business owners who brought the suit argue
that state law clearly allows smoking in certain classes of business with
language that disallows local government from imposing further smoking
restrictions on these protected businesses. I have spoken extensively with
the lawyer who is handling this case and he believes his chances of success are very strong. Some Missouri smoking bans are currently
compliant with state law by exempting these protected classes of
businessses, but others are not. The smoking ban in Columbia, for
instance, will be struck down if these Kansas City business owners
prevail.

http://www.kansascity.com/679/story/633314.html

Just released research predicts that a St. Charles smoking ban would
increase St. Charles drunk driving fatalities by 13 percent or more as
smokers drive farther to find venues in which they can both smoke and
drink. Furthermore, the study suggests that there is strong evidence that problem drinkers drink more when they can’t smoke and handle alcohol less well. This means a St. Charles smoking ban would put innocent people,
people who never set foot in bars, at new and deadly risk. Yesterday I called one of the researchers, Dr. Chad Cotti, and he confirmed that the average community imposing a smoking ban will experience, on average, a 13 percent increase in drunk driving deaths. Some communities, he warns, will
experience a much higher loss of life.

http://www.econ.iastate.edu/calendar/papers/CottiPaperDrunkDriving.pdf

I agree with many nonsmokers == don’t like smoke - don’t go to the restaraunt. Pure and simple. Don’t like smoke - don’t work at a place offering smoking. Plenty of “Now Hiring” signs around.

PRIVATE businesses should be allowed to offer smoking to their potential customers. Potential customers have the right to say “no thank you” and go somewhere else but do not have the right to have smoking banned in places they don’t own.

Buy the restaraunt if you don’t want it to be smoking.

Oh Jason..grow up and learn how to spell. Smoking is bad and should be banned at all costs !!! ^__^ :0)