SLU’s future docs to rally for county smoking ban — in the city
ST. LOUIS — When the city approved anti-smoking legislation last week, sponsor Alderman Lyda Krewson predicted it would trigger activists in the city to campaign for next week’s all-important vote in the county.
She’s right — and future doctors are leading the way.
Tomorrow Thursday afternoon, St. Louis University Medical School students will rally outside their campus at Chouteau and Grand — in the city – in support of Prop. N — which county voters will decide next week.
The reason it’s relevant around the region, of course, is that the City Hall bill will only go into effect if county voters approve their own version of the smoking ban proposal on Nov. 3.
If the SLU students wanted to make the most out of their efforts, they might — instead of a lunchtime rally on Grand– set up on Forest Park Parkway heading west at rush hour. That’s where you’ll likely find the most county voters, as long as Highway 40 stays closed anyway.
Showing a bit of bias with your coaching Jake!
I predict that the smoking ban will spell future political trouble for the aldermen who sold out the bars and restaurants in their wards for out of town casino interests. How North Side African American Aldermen could vote for a casino exemption is beyond me, since casinos have always hurt their clubs. Alderman Carter admitted: “This will kill the bars in my ward!” Yet he voted for the smoking ban.
Plus the aldermen will have to answer to some very pissed off bar and restaurant people who won’t qualify for the 2000 sq. ft. exemption, but will have to compete against those that do. For instance, in the 28th Ward, Herbie’s, Culpepper’s and Dressel’s will lose their smoking privileges, but Rosie’s, Llewellyn’s and Duff’s can still smoke. Herbie’s will lose its cigar club, but Brennan’s will likely qualify.
As long as the SLU students are bringing healthy lunches. It’s hypocritical to call for a smoking ban when you’re eating a bag of chips. I would also suggest keeping the fattys away as well. What kind of message is that showing when the ones campaigning for a “healthier” eating envirnment are already unhealthy?
Should have spelled it “environment”..
Just to clarify, rally will be this Thursday at 1 pm. Also, the SLU students have already planned to hold street rallies in a few key intesections in both the city and county closer to election day. [Thanks -- I had the wrong day and I changed it. - JAKE ]
The small neighborhood bars in my are of Chicago have been waiting for nearly two years for these new customers. I wonder how long it will take. Now that the summer is over, many gave up waiting and are ignoring the ban to keep their current customers. During the summer, the ban is a good excuse for even non smokers to loiter on the street in front of the bars, which has been illegal since the 60s, when many neighborhoods were changing ethnicity. Bar patrons would hassle neighborhood residents walking home from the transit center. the bartender has no control over what hppens on the “public” property outside the bar.
Bill, are you for real?
Maybe the North Side African American aldermen should be worried about how their constituents are disproportionally affected by SECONDHAND SMOKE as hospitality workers. Forget the money argument; how about people’s health, well-being and quality of life? I suspect most people would rather give up a neighborhood bar than wipe out their electrolarynx in 20 years, IMHO.
The right to swing your fist freely stops at the tip of my nose. The right to exhale smoke stops at the same place. It’s time smokers look at the big picture and see this is about keeping future people from becoming addicts. I’m sure many smokers wish there would have been a ban back when they started smoking. They’d have a whole lot more money today.
The ban has been a hit everywhere it has gone into effect. Let’s just hope STL doesn’t lag behind the region in yet another category.
We will be making the most of our efforts, as you say, by doing some street rallies in the county and at major arties, including Forest Park Pkwy, over the weekend and before election day. Come join us! propnstl@yahoo.com.
St. Louis needs to get on the band wagon. Nearly 3000 places have enacted BANS since Hitler took the lead in 1939. But, St. Louis is slow. We do not even have proper bans on unhealthy foods.
Wake up St. Louis, didn’t you see the bilboards during the All-Star baseball game here, real progressives are demanding a ban on hotdogs. I can not wait until the new Hitler Youth get a tax on soda.
Keep up the good work NAZI’s, America loves you.