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Smoke-Free San Antonio

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4 Comments

Thursday was a banner day for the people of San Antonio, TX. The city council voted 7 to 4 in favor of a smoking ban in all indoor workplaces. Until now, San Antonio was the largest city in Texas without a comprehensive city-wide smoke-free ordinance. Now, the 1.4 million citizens in San Antonio, the nation’s seventh largest city, will be protected from secondhand smoke in all indoor workplaces including bars and restaurants.

  • utubepunk

    Where’s the ban on cars- lots of toxicity coming out of that tail pipe & you breathe it everyday. How about not taking your 13 YO daughter into a bar or restaurant that has smokers? I did NOT get to vote on this ordinance- it was shoved down our? throats by special do-gooder interest groups who perpetuate a nanny state where the government polices everyone’s behavior. That’s not freedom. 95%+ of restaurants & bars were already smoke-free PRIOR to the ban. Shame on this special interest group. You can vote with your pocket book instead of restricting MY freedom and the business owner’s freedom. Geez- and I’m not even a smoker!

    http://www.youtube.com//watch?v=-AjXwSJtxGc&feature=%ADsearch

  • Rick Eggett

    People forget that smokers have right too !!!!!!!

  • Mike

    This smoke free ordinace is a huge step backwards in our rights and personal liberties. Of course everyone knows that smoking is bad for you. However, so is fatty foods, exhaust from vehicles, soda, sugar, and not exercising. Making all these establishments smoke free is violating private business owners rights. If a business owner does not want smoke in their place of business then they can say no, if they want to allow it then they can say yes. If a place is popular and the patrons do not like the smoking then they can petition the owners to change their policy. What makes this dangerous is governments do not take control in big sweeping moves, they take control in small steps, each a little bigger than the last. So, when they want to regulate how the thermostats are set, how much electricity a business or home can use, or shutting down water after so much comsumption, what will be said then? I’m sure there will be another group of smiling nannies who will post another blog telling you what a great thing they’ve done for you.

    I am not a cigarette smoker. I do enjoy a good beer and cigar on occassion, preferably in a place where I can enjoy the company of others and watch a big screen. Thanks Nannies! You just took my one relaxing passtime away.

    • http://livestrong.org Brooke McMillan (LIVESTRONG Staff)

      A Smoke Free Texas is good for all involved. Data shows that smoke free legislation does NOT hurt business, in fact it saves money on employee health costs and other direct/indirect costs. Currently 36 major Texas cities are covered by smoke free laws- including the newest city of San Antonio. 70% of Texas residents approve of smoke free workplace legislation (67% of Republicans, 69% of Independents and 74% of Democrats). LIVESTRONG supported the legislation because we believe that no one should have to chose between their health and a paycheck. This ordinance will protect the health of our citizens, save lives and money.

      As a side note, the current San Antonio ordinance has a clause excluding cigar bars, private clubs and American Legions.