Jump to full article: AP, 2009-10-10
Author: TOM BREEN Associated Press Writer
Intro: CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- From West Virginia to the West Coast, smokers are trying to fend off further restrictions on their habit, and local officials are starting to listen.
In some cases, smoking bans have even been rescinded or postponed, a much less common occurrence than officials declining to impose restrictions.
Opponents of smoking restrictions say these rollbacks are largely driven by economic woe, with local governments wary of imposing new costs or business burdens on restaurants and bars that may already be struggling.
"The economy is in a slump, and these bans almost always hurt the shot-and-beer-type bars and some restaurants," said Gary Nolan, U.S. regional director of the Citizens Freedom Alliance, which opposes laws that restrict smoking.
"If times are trying now in the hospitality industry, you're compounding that by telling bar owners they can't cater to their own crowd," he said.
The concerns of bars and fraternal organizations were at the forefront of a dispute over a proposal in Berkeley County to ban smoking in those establishments.
Jump to full article » |