Jump to full article: Riverside (CA) Press-Enterprise, 2008-06-27
Author: STEVE MOORE The Press-Enterprise
Intro: On Thursday night, the City Council postponed acting on a measure that would ban smoking on streets and sidewalks, on outdoor restaurant patios and also push smokers back 50 feet from most doorways.
It would be one of the toughest second-hand smoke measures in the Inland area -- patterned after one in Calabasas widely considered the most comprehensive and restrictive smoking law in California.
Several business owners lambasted the proposed ordinance, saying it would drive away customers.
Bert Bruning, co-owner of Palm Desert Tobacco, asked why the city would "turn away thousands of customers by telling them they are not welcome in our town because of a lifestyle choice that involves a legal product that some people just don't like."
The council agreed to form a study committee and invited public participation before the measure comes up again on Oct. 9.
Jump to full article » |