Tobacco.org

Smoking ban petition started  

Topekan Gail Trembley, who doesn't own a business but described herself as a "fed-up private citizen," said Thursday she was starting a petition drive to reverse the smoking ban the Topeka City Council approved Tuesday.

Trembley, a smoker, said she had received a copy of the ordinance, talked to city officials and prepared a petition she thinks fulfills the requirements to force a ballot question vote.

"I would like to have it go back to the ban we had prior to this one, where owners could use their own discretion whether to allow or not to allow smoking," she said. "I think that was fair enough, well, with one exception -- I have wanted employers to have a separate smoking area that was protected from the environment. I think it is cruel to make smokers go outside in the elements."

Trembley, who described herself as disabled and doesn't work, asked registered voters who live in Topeka and would like to sign her petition to contact her at southerndrawlcountry@yahoo.com or by cell phone at (785) 220-9037.

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