Cauldron

Issue date: 9/20/07 Section: Front Page

Media Credit: Ben Felleman Student smoker Jason Woodward, junior English major, takes a drag.

The City of Houston's smoke-free ordinance went into effect Sept. 1 after being passed in October 2006.

The ordinance makes it illegal to smoke in public institutions and various public locations such as restaurants, bars, museums, libraries, schools, various public centers, malls, buses and bus stops. Smoking is also prohibited in enclosed public workplaces, within 25 feet of a building's entrance or exit doors, and in the covered concourses of outdoor arenas and outdoor seating areas of public spectator events.

Smoking continues to be, however, permitted in individual hotel and motel rooms, retail tobacco stores, retail tobacco bars and restaurant and bar outdoor seating areas.

Enforcement measures are also being taken to ensure that the ordinance is upheld by private businesses. City-employed inspectors are sent to bars and restaurants to issue citations to managers of institutions that violate the ordinance. If a person is caught smoking either during a routine health inspection or upon the receipt of a citizen's complaint, an investigation will be conducted and the violating manager could be subject to a fine of up to $2,000.

Some restaurant and bar owners, like Slick Willie's Pool Hall manager Pete Natzke, feel the ordinance will cause profit loss.

"It's going to hurt business, effectively," Natzke said.

He added that he feels this loss will be felt, collectively, all throughout the city.

"Those politicians have given a 20 percent pay cut to 100,000 people in Houston," he said. He also said he fears that smokers will decide to stay at home, rather than make the decision to frequent private businesses where smoking is banned.

Both smokers and non-smokers on campus have expressed opinions about the ordinance passing. Freshman smoker Chelsea Zwirek said she supported the change. "Smoking is a bad habit, and I do it because I'm addicted," she said. "Non-smokers have a definite right to not be around it."

Some non-smokers are opposed to the ordinance. Sophomore music and business major Jose Carranco said he feels that it is not a fair measure. "Maybe instead of antagonizing against smokers they should work to accommodate them, making smoking-designated areas rather than forbidding smokers from smoking in certain areas," he said. "Our University accommodates smokers very effectively. Those little smoking canisters work great."

Sophomore Daniel Quijano said he supports the ordinance and feels that it is all an issue of comfort. "I am all for the law," he said. "I go to a place and expect them to comfort me. That's what I pay them for, right?"

For a complete summary of the ordinance, see www.houstontx.gov/health/Environmnental/smokingpage.html.

Restrictions:
• Smoking is prohibited in enclosed public places.
• Smoking is prohibited in enclosed workplaces.
• Smoking is prohibited outdoors within 25 feet of building entrance and exit doors.
• No one may smoke in covered concourses of outdoor arenas and outdoor seating areas of public spectator events.
• No one may smoke in covered waiting areas for bus stops and light rail stops.

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