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Jump to full article: Newton (GA) Citizen, 2004-10-29
Author: Jay Jones
Intro: The Rockdale County Board of Commissioners (BOC) may put a hold on enacting the recently approved no-smoking ordinance after a group of restaurant owners told them Friday that the law could run them out of business.
About 20 people, mostly restaurant owners, spoke during the BOC work session and told the commissioners the no-smoking ordinance could cut their business by 30-40 percent by driving smoking patrons to Newton County, where there is no ordinance against smoking in public places. The group framed its argument as a freedom of choice issue and asked the BOC to amend the ordinance.
One recommendation offered was to exempt restaurants from the law if 60 percent of revenue came from food and they meet clean air standards through the use and maintenance of air filtration systems. Another suggestion was posting notices outside of restaurants warning the public that tobacco products are used inside.
. . .
"I'm a non-smoker, but I made my business decision to open as a smoke-free restaurant because of all of this data the hospital and Smoke-Free Rockdale provided," Jones said. "‘People want this, Bill, they're dying for it.' Well, I almost went under giving them what they were dying for."
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