Antioch officials cool to smoking ban

04/06/06
Diana Kuyper

ANTIOCH - It is unlikely that Antioch officials will ban smoking in restaurants and bars in the near future.

Kristine Andersen and Barbara de Nekker of the Lake County Health Department presented an overview of the benefits of banning smoking in public buildings, including restaurants and bars, to the Village Board Monday. "In areas where there is a smoking ban studies show that there are fewer asthma attacks, fewer heart attacks and lower cancer rates," said de Nekker. "Banning public smoking encourages smokers to quit and discourages youths from starting to smoke."

De Nekker said initially in areas that have banned public smoking business owners were concerned that business would drop off at restaurants and bars. "Evidence shows that there is very little negative impact when comparing sales data before and after a ban is enacted."

"It is a workplace health issue," said Andersen.     

"Seventy-five percent of white collar workers are protected from second-hand smoke, while only 13 percent of bartenders are protected. We are looking at protecting workers who have to spend eight hours a day in a smoke-filled environment."

"The real issue is about employees working in a carcinogenic environment and their exposure for up to eight hours a day to second hand smoke," said de Nekker.

The Lake County Health Deptartment is leading an initiative promoting smoke-free communities, making similar presentations to municipalities that have not banned smoking in all public buildings, including restaurant and bars.

"I am not sympathetic to this. Restaurants and bars are privately owned spaces. I think it should be the choice of the owner, not a decision made by the municipality," said Trustee Scott Pierce. "I support restaurants that make the choice. It should be the personal choice of a restaurant or bar owner, not our mandate."

His opinion was shared by most of the Village Board, mainly because of Antioch's proximity to the Wisconsin state line. "Even if the whole county goes smoke free, anyone in Antioch who wants to smoke in a restaurant or bar can just drive a mile over the state line and have that right," said Trustee Mary Turner, who said she is reformed smoker and suffers from asthma. "I may personally not want to be exposed to second-hand smoke, but I was elected to serve everyone and watch out for our sources of revenue."

Linda Binanti, owner of Taste of Italy II, says she has chosen to prohibit smoking in both of her restaurants. She also owns a restaurant in Silver Lake, WI.

"That was our choice. We have a 10 year history of non-smoking in Wisconsin, but we knew that we were taking a risk in Antioch because our new restaurant has a bar area. We don't have a big bar business but we are primarily a restaurant and our volume of business has not been affected by our non-smoking policy."

If patrons want to smoke, they may step outside, and in the summer they will be allowed to smoke at outside tables, Binanti said. "Smoke affects the taste of the food. But for a bar it is another story, and I am not sure I would support an ordinance that would ban smoking. The only way I could see it not hurting Antioch business would be if it were a countywide ban."

Even though the Health Department officials said that overall in communities that have non-smoking ordinances, business has not been hurt by the ban, Antioch officials said their situation is unique and they believe business would suffer from a ban.

"Small communities like Antioch will take the biggest hit," said Turner. "I, for one, don't want to take away our business owners' livelihoods. Taking the choice away from the business owner is not in their best interest."

Trustee Bob McCarty said that as long as he is a village trustee a ban will not be issued in Antioch. "Our country is built on our ability to make choices. I will not tell restaurants that they have to comply with such an ordinance. If it is adopted statewide, that is a different story and we will deal with it at that point."

"This is a mandate that has to come from the state," said Trustee Lawrence Hanson. "I am a non-smoker and I would rather go to a smoke-free restaurant, but I will not going to take away someone's livelihood."

Until the governor signs a bill that allows counties to regulate smoking in business in unincorporated areas, there is little the county can do to enact a ban, said Andersen. The county will not be able to regulate municipalities. Each municipality has the authority to enact its own ordinance. The state could step in and force a state-wide ban, but only if more municipalities show an interest by becoming smoke-free communities.

"I wanted the health department to make this presentation because I have seen this coming," said Mayor Dorothy Larson. "I wanted us to get as much information as possible and open it up to the public and our restaurant owners, because they will be impacted the hardest."           

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