Tobacco.org

• Ban to center on city property only 

Eden Prairie will not ban smoking in restaurants and other businesses. Instead, the City Council opted Tuesday night to begin crafting an ordinance regulating smoking on city-owned property such as buildings and parks. It also is eyeing ways to garner voluntary participation of smoke-free initiatives among restaurants and other businesses.

One way broached was forming a task force or panel that would, as Council member Ron Case described, pull restaurants into the cause of tackling an issue that has caused much divisiveness. He said voluntary participation offers a “golden opportunity” to bring the community together so it can take a lead role on the issue throughout the state. . .

If the council were to barely pass a total ban, Case said it could be overturned in January. And that, he theorized, could mean no other city would want to touch the issue for years to come.

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