Reprint from the Progress Times - November 16, 2007
©Progress Times 2007 - All Rights Reserved

Alton snuffs out smoking

 

In a special meeting of the Alton City Commission November 13 the commission voted unanimously to pass a first reading of an ordinance that will prohibit smoking in all public places. The ordinance is being referred to as the Alton Smoke Free Air Act.

According to the ordinance, which before enacted must be given a second and third reading, all enclosed facilities, including buildings and vehicles owned by the City of Alton will be subject to the smoking ban.

Smoking will be prohibited in all restaurants, libraries, museums, bars, bingo facilities, convention facilities, gaming facilities, hotels and motels including at least 80 percent of rooms that are rented to guests, lobbies, hallways and other common areas in apartment buildings, condominiums, trailer parks, retirement facilities, nursing homes and other multiple-unit residential facilities.

The ban also applies to the outdoors as the ordinance states that smoking will also be prohibited within 20 feet outside the entrances, windows and ventilation systems of enclosed areas where smoking is prohibited as well as outdoor seating or serving areas of restaurants.

There are a few exceptions to the ban.

Private residences, except when used as a childcare, adult day care or healthcare facility are exempt as well as not more than 20 percent of hotel and motel rooms rented to guests and designated as smoking rooms. Private clubs that have no employees, except when being used for a function are also exempt.

The ordinance also provides for giving authority to any business owner to declare their entire establishment be non-smoking.

Any person who smokes in an area where smoking is prohibited will be punishable by a fine not to exceed $50. Anyone who owns, manages, operates or controls a public place or place of employment who fails to comply with the ordinance will face a fine of $100 for the first offense, $200 for the second violation within one year and a fine of $500 for each additional violation within the same year.

Alton Mayor Salvador Vela believes the ban was the right thing to do at the right time.

"I think it was a good thing for the city and it was a good time to do it," said Vela. "Most of these places already don’t allow smoking. Most of the businesses here don’t have no-smoking signs but people go outside anyway. They respect that. Alton is just growing. We won’t have a lot of the problems that McAllen had like a lot of businesses protesting."