Tobacco.org

• The great unknown 

Despite months of debate about the economic effects that a smoking ban could have on the city, a local economist and two Fayetteville aldermen on opposing sides of the issue say only time will tell what a ban will mean for the city in the long term.

The City Council approved the ban with a 5-3 vote at its Sept. 2 meeting. The ban is scheduled to go into effect Feb. 1 unless members of the opposing group collect nearly 3,000 signatures to put the issue on the ballot, where the council's decision could be overturned.

Jeff Collins, director of the Center for Business and Economic Research and an assistant professor of economics at the University of Arkansas, said none of the studies he researched uncovered a negative effect when all other economic factors were considered.

Jump to full article »