Oak Lawn looks at smoking ban
Restaurants likely, but some bars could be exempt

By Victoria Pierce, Special to the Tribune
December 18, 2006

Oak Lawn trustees have begun mulling an ordinance that would ban smoking in village restaurants while allowing it in some bars.

A municipal smoking ordinance must be adopted by March 15, otherwise a countywide ordinance will go into effect and Cook County would collect and administer any fines, said Village President David Heilmann.

Trustees generally agree that smoking should be banned in restaurants that serve patrons of all ages, but frequenting a tavern is a choice made by adults 21 and older, they point out.

"A tavern, to me, is a place you would expect smoking," said Trustee Robert Streit, who supported differentiating between restaurants and bars in the proposed smoking ordinance.

Despite the consensus on the board, the issue won't be quite so easy to legislate. Some restaurants in Oak Lawn have bar areas, and some bars serve food. Determining which establishments fit into each category could be tricky.

Roger Benson, owner of B.J. McMahon's on 95th Street, expressed concern that small businesses would be hurt by a smoking ban. You don't see many bars with "no smoking" signs out front, he said. "You don't see it because it's not good business."

Several bar owners attending last week's Village Board meeting said they are grateful that the board does not plan to adopt an all-out ban for all public establishments.

But smokers in Oak Lawn taverns--and across the state--might not necessarily be lighting up for long.

The Illinois General Assembly is considering a statewide measure addressing smoking in public places. A bill was introduced last year but never made it to a vote.

Heilmann said the board would watch the debate in Springfield closely because trustees wouldn't want to require local taverns to install costly air filters only to have the state ban all smoking a short time later.

Several other municipalities, including Chicago and at least three southwest suburbs, have already put smoking bans in place. More are considering them.

The Oak Forest City Council this month passed a measure that bans smoking in all public buildings, including restaurants, bars and hotels, and at public outdoor festivities or festivals so long as designated smoking areas are provided. Parades and picnics are exempt.

An Orland Park ban applies to all parks, sports fields and government buildings and restricts smoking to designated areas outside of restaurants, bars and hotels.

Tinley Park's ordinance applies to all places within the village that people enter, including private clubs or lodges, such as VFW and American Legion halls. But it does allow designated smoking areas at outdoor venues, including dining areas and the First Midwest Bank Amphitheater.

The county's law prohibits smoking in all public places and mandates that suburbs must abide by the ban unless they adopt their own ordinances or opt out of the county's.

Oak Lawn trustees have not scheduled a vote but said they expect to adopt some sort of guidelines before the March 15 deadline.
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