Smokers actually do have a shaky foothold in the City Council – not that it helps much. After the Council voted, 36 to 12, last week to ban smoking in city parks, beaches and public plazas, the Daily News reported Sunday that one reason could be the lack of smokers on the Council. More than a dozen Council members and staffers said they hadn’t seen a member regularly lighting up in years – though some enjoy the occasional cigar ... Jump to full article >>

New York has extended its ban on smoking to include parks and beaches, giving it some of the strictest rules on lighting up in the world. Residents and tourists alike face fines of up to $100 (£62) if they smoke in any of the city’s 1,700 parks – including Central Park – and along its 14 miles of coastline. The ban also covers public plazas such as Times Square. New York mayor Michael Bloomberg banned smoking in bars and restaurants in 20 ... Jump to full article >>

Local cigar bars are flaring up after a Lancaster County judge’s ruling that certain exemptions to Nebraska’s smoking ban are unconstitutional. The law took effect June 1, 2009. Judge Jodi Nelson said she agrees with the law’s exception for research facilities. But she said cigar bars, hotels and tobacco shops aren’t different enough from other workplaces to warrant special treatment. For the time being, cigar shops are still al ... Jump to full article >>

  SPRINGFIELD — Should people be able to light up in restaurants, bars or the workplace? That’s the question voters in Springfield will likely decide come April. While supporters say it’s to better our lives, some worry it could threaten their livelihood. “This is a wall of our pipe tobacco blends,” explained Christian Hutson, owner of the Just for Him tobacco shop. Hutson points to a wall where there are dozen ... Jump to full article >>

A petition to put a comprehensive smoking ban before Springfield voters was short more than 400 signatures Monday, leaving supporters 10 more days to gather the number needed for an April vote. At least 1,181 signatures from registered city voters are needed to put the issue on the ballot. Staff at the city clerk’s office last week began validating signatures turned in Wednesday. “I think they’ve certified over 700″ as of ... Jump to full article >>

Most members were reluctant to do it, but the Cape Girardeau City Council asked Monday night for an ordinance that would place a smoking ban on the April 5 ballot that would prohibit lighting up inside the city’s bars, restaurants and other enclosed public places. The council expects the ordinance to be drafted in time for it to vote at its Jan. 10 meeting, making it all but a certainty that it voters will decide. The council made its deci ... Jump to full article >>

Air quality in restaurants and taverns has improved 92 percent following this summer’s enactment of a statewide workplace smoking ban, according to a state report released this week. The report’s results also show that dangerous small-particle levels thought to cause cancer declined to safe levels, giving supporters of the law new ammunition for arguing in favor of the law’s potential public health benefits. [caption id="attach ... Jump to full article >>

Smoking ban petitioners in O’Fallon got enough valid signatures to qualify their proposal for the April 5 election ballot, the St. Charles County Election Authority said Monday. Rich Chrismer, the county’s elections director, said his office verified that the Smoke-Free O’Fallon organization got signatures of 1,082 registered voters in the city. That’s far more than the 791 needed. Under the city charter, the City Counci ... Jump to full article >>

The Joplin City Council on Monday night declined to place on an election ballot a workplace smoking ban sought by Smoke-Free Joplin, and the organization now will decide whether to launch an initiative petition drive. Smoke-Free Joplin had sought a ban of smoking in all workplaces, including restaurants, bars and private clubs. The council, after a public hearing in which some local bar owners and private club operators objected to a prohibition ... Jump to full article >>

The new casino and the proposed smoking ban, two of Cape Girardeau’s biggest issues, are on a collision course, and the Cape Girardeau City Council plans to address them both. However, there may not be much the council can do other than watch the whole thing play out. On Nov. 2, the day Cape Girardeau voters were approving a proposal to allow Isle of Capri to build a $125 million casino, a group of residents were busy collecting enough sig ... Jump to full article >>