State’s 'No smoking' law should be obeyed and strictly enforced

The Southern Illinoisan
Posted: Thursday, July 28, 2011

It's one of the worst-kept secrets in Southern Illinois: In bars across the region, smokers are still lighting up their cigarettes indoors.

It's also one of the most poorly-enforced laws in Southern Illinois, and that needs to change.

In Saturday's issue of The Southern, the issue of smoking in Williamson and Franklin County bars has irked some, and for good reason. No matter how unpopular it may be with some bar owners and patrons, the smoking ban is statewide law, and needs to be enforced as such.

First and foremost, the responsibility falls on those who smoke. This should be simple enough - once you set foot in a public building, which includes bars, the cigarette needs to be put out. Otherwise, smokers are violating the law and unnecessarily exposing other patrons and employees to secondhand smoke. Good citizens abide by the laws.

Next, bar owners need to enforce the law in their facilities. Sure, it may result in a brief downturn in business, but it will be short-lived. You can't smoke in a Chicago nightclub and people stand in line for entry - many enjoying a smoke. Smokers everywhere else in the state find their way outdoors before lighting up. And for those bar owners who are obeying the law and not allowing smoking, it's horribly unfair that they are losing business to other bars that decide they don't need to play by the same rule.

Finally, local health departments need to take it upon themselves to make sure the law gets enforced. With a few weekends of stern enforcement, the message will get out and bars will start cracking down on their own.

Laws are enacted for a reason, and this one is designed to benefit the public's health. They're also enacted with the purpose of being enforced, and some in Southern Illinois are dropping the ball in that regard. It's time to put out those cigarettes and truly go smoke-free.


Read more: http://thesouthern.com/news/opinions/voice_southern/article_00f07258-b8d1-11e0-9ded-001cc4c03286.html#ixzz1U4ALefRi