March
2007
Restaurant Assoc and Tavern League at Odds on Smoking Ban
They usually team up on issues but the Wisconsin Restaurant Association is at odds with the Tavern League on the proposed smoking ban in Wisconsin.
The ban, as proposed by Governor Jim Doyle, would make it illegal to light up in public places.
The Restaurant Association supports the ban but only if it excludes all public places. That includes taverns. The Tavern League isn’t vehement against it as long as it exempts Taverns for a couple years.
We’re told that the Tavern League is considering informing their members of the proposed ban and distributing a ton of beer coasters which urge patrons to call their legislators to oppose a smoking ban in taverns. Savvy legislators should bear in mind that, by and large, regulars at bars aren’t real big on going to the polls.
Meanwhile, an unlikely coalition is forming which couples democrats and republicans in their support of a ban. Should legislators truly set aside partisanship, this ban might actually pass.
Jim McGuigan
Jim McGuigan, Watchdogging Public Health
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If smoking is sooooooo bad, then why not just ban the sale of cigarettes much like they have banned trans-fatty acids in New York City?
I think it’s great how government is telling how private business how to run their business when it comes to a LEGAL activity like smoking. (that was sarcastic btw)
If smoking is a public health issue why aren’t handguns?
It takes years and years to kill or injure someone with second hand smoke. It takes an instant to shoot another person. Handguns have no other purpose than to do harm and the costs to the public due to handgun use were well documented in the JS series a short time ago.
As a matter of public health, simply declare handguns contriband like heroin or sawed-off shotguns and thereby designate them illegal in and of themselves.
Handguns are not a public health issue…the issue are the PEOPLE that use them or any other type of deadly weapon. Shotgun, knife, bat, drunk driver in a car, et al.
Do you honestly believe that if you simply ban handguns that gun violence would actually go down? If so, I also have a bridge in Brooklyn that I would like to sell to you.