Jump to full article: KOLR-TV Channel 10 (Springfield, MO), 2010-02-09
Author: Reported by: Jennifer Denman
Intro: Robert martin says he's pretty much married to his nightclub. He even lives right above it. He's owned Nathan P. Murphy's for 28 years, but his relationship with the club almost cost him his life.
"Many of nights I would crawl out of my apartment and gasp for air," says Martin.
Martin's not a smoker, but he was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a common lung disease associated with smoking.
"When the doctor told me to change my environment or I would die, it took me five seconds to make that decision," says Martin.
So for the last two years, he's run a smoke free setup.
"It's been overwhelmingly supported even by smokers," says Martin.
Some Missouri lawmakers are trying to make all public establishments smoke-free, citing risks from secondhand smoke. . . .
The debate is bound to be heated at the state capital. But for Martin, it was a choice he had to make. And because of that, he's now able sit among his customers in the place he loves.
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