Smoking ban is approved on 7-1 vote

Aug. 10, 2006
LINDA BLASER

Lake Forest became the latest community to enact a smoking ban in businesses and public places in town at its City Council meeting Monday night.

Despite pleas by late-night businesses to provide an exemption to allow smoking in bars after 10 p.m. when food is not served, aldermen were not swayed, citing a desire to protect employees from the dangers of second-hand smoke. The final vote was 7-1, with Alderman Stuart Widman casting the only no vote.

Widman said after the vote that while he supported the smoking ban, he was looking for a late-night exemption for businesses.

The new ordinance, which will ban smoking in Market Square, at Forest Park Beach, at parks, on the train platforms and in businesses and hospitality establishments throughout the city, will take effect on Sept. 1.

Any restaurant that currently has smoking will be allowed until their liquor and tobacco license expires on May 1, 2007.

The aldermen exempted Deerpath Golf Course, for those on the course itself, but players and others are prohibited from smoking within 75 feet of the clubhouse building.

Those who violate the ordinance will be subjected to a $75 fine, Deputy Police Chief Joe Buerger said.

If someone calls police to complain about someone smoking, they will go out and enforce the ordinance, but "we're not going to have our police out there writing tickets, looking for violators," City Administrator Bob Kiely said.

Chris Anderson of Tobacco Free Lake County and a Lake Forest resident commended the aldermen for enacting the ban -- especially the complete ban at the beach, which she said makes Lake Forest a leader in the state and nationally.

The ban also prohibits smoking on public sidewalks within 25 feet of a public entrance of an enclosed public place or place of employment and in outdoor dining areas and school grounds.
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Will Lake Forest adopt smoking ban?

May 4, 2006
BY LINDA BLASER
STAFF WRITER

Lake Forest may join a growing list of municipalities that have adopted a smoking ban in restaurants and public places.

"We've been waiting for the state to take the lead on this, but they have not," Mayor Michael Rummel said at the Lake Forest city council meeting Monday night. "We will be moving legislation forward."

Third Ward Alderman Timm Reynolds asked if the possibility of adopting a smoking ban has been put before the Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Chamber of Commerce or businesses within Lake Forest.

"Not yet," said Fourth Ward Alderman John Looby III, a member of the Lake Forest Business Partnership committee, an ad hoc committee of the city council.

Wilmette, Highland Park and Deerfield have already enacted smoke-free ordinances, and the Lincolnshire village board will vote on a smoking ban in that town on Monday.

The ordinance Lincolnshire trustees are considering has one major exception that most smoking bans in neighboring towns don't: If a restaurant has a completely enclosed bar area equipped with its own heating, ventilation and air conditioning and air-filtration systems, smoking will be allowed.

If approved, the Lincolnshire ordinance will prohibit smoking:

* In all places of employment.

* In all restaurants, including open-air dining areas.

* Within 20 feet of all public entrances, open-air dining areas, windows and ventilation equipment.

* In no more than 15 percent of available hotel rooms.

If approved, the regulation would take effect Aug. 1.

In 2003, Wilmette was the first community to enact a smoking ban in public places. A year later, Evanston and Skokie adopted smoking bans, but excluded bars from the ordinance. In 2005, Highland Park passed a comprehensive smoking ban with no exceptions.

Already this year, Lake Forest Hospital went completely smoke-free on Jan. 1.

At the Deer Path Inn in Lake Forest, smoking is allowed in the pub and for private parties only within the restaurant; the hotel rooms are non-smoking.

"We would lose some customers," Alain Rochelemagne, Deer Path manager, said of a ban. "We have some clients, they have been coming here and smoking for 50 years."

At Monday night's meeting, the smoking ban issue was discussed following a presentation by City of Lake Forest intern Christina Mesker, a Lake Forest College senior who prepared a report on smoke-free legislation in Illinois for the council to review.

Illinois House Bill 4338 seeks to prohibit smoking in public places throughout the state, including bars, restaurants, taverns and bowling alleys; it is not expected to pass, Mesker told the city council.
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