UNIVERSITY CITY • A group of community leaders working with the Tobacco-Free St. Louis Coalition called on the St. Louis County Council to get rid of the 145 exemptions to the smoking ban that they say allow some businesses to benefit at the expense of others.

A physician with St. Louis University, a representative of a North County church group and a business owner in University City were among those who spoke at a news conference this morning. They said that the smoking ban exemptions endangered the health of patrons and employees. They also presented an analysis showing that the largest number of exemptions are in communities including North County, where the incidence of heart attacks and respiratory diseases is high.

"The rate of exemptions is higher in the districts where health disparities are highest - making a bad health situation worse," said Dr. Stuart Slavin, who is a board member of Tobacco-Free St. Louis and associate dean of the medical school St. Louis University. "The Clean Air Act was a positive and necessary first step to creating a less toxic environment for St. Louisans. But we're failing those who need it most."

The news conference was at Three Kings Public House in University City.

Derek Deaver, owner of Three Kings Public House, said, "To have some establishments playing by one set of rules and others by a different set of rules has created confusion, and an unlevel playing field. The exemptions have to go."

Tobacco-Free St. Louis is a grassroots coalition that educates citizens, provides resources, and supports policies to eliminate the use of tobacco.