Council Bans Smoking in Jackson Restaurants | Jackson Free Press | Jackson, MS

Council Bans Smoking in Jackson Restaurants

After three failed starts this morning, an amendment to change a 2003 city ordinance banning smoking in all businesses except standalone bars passed the Jackson City Council this morning. "We're very excited," said Jennifer Cofer, executive director of the American Lung Association of Mississippi and chairwoman of anti-tobacco group Communities for a Clean Bill of Health. "The council saw that they needed to revisit this issue and vote on something today for the city of Jackson. Although it is not 100 percent inclusive, it's the best we can do given the current environment here in the city. This means we can protect the most Mississippians we can without that one exemption.

The amendment, referred by Ward 6 Councilman Marshand Crisler as "Alternative A," altered a smoking ban proposal that passed the council's planning committee in March, which called for local restaurants containing bars to install individual ventilation systems for their bar and restaurant sections.

The council originally voted down Alternative A, with only Ward 1 Councilman Jeff Weill, Crisler and Ward 7 Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon voting in favor. The council then brought forth "Alternative B," a blanket ban on smoking in all Jackson businesses, which would include bars.

That amendment failed with only minority support from Ward 4 Councilman Frank Bluntson, Ward 5 Councilman Charles Tillman and Council President Leslie McLemore.

With two amendments dead, the council then killed the original ordinance that survived the planning committee, with only a minority of council members in support, including McLemore, Bluntson and Tillman.

"OK, we start all over again," McLemore declared after the vote, explaining that there would be no change in the current city ordinance.

Crisler, still favoring an ordinance change, if not a total ban, then exited the council chambers and conferred with members of an antismoking group Smoke Free Jackson, who flooded the council with royal blue T-shirts proclaiming their support of the ban.

When Crisler returned, he submitted a motion to reconsider "Alternative A." The motion to reconsider passed council approval with a 6-to-0 vote, with Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes not present.

Stokes had voted against all three attempts to expand the city smoking ordinance, but his one vote was not enough to quash the revote for Alternative A, which passed the council with approval of the other six members. Stokes had offered no comment supporting his reasons for extending the ban prior to the votes.

The original ordinance passed by the planning committee would only have affected family restaurants with no bar section, like Cracker Barrel. Spokespeople at Cracker Barrel said they were prepared to ban smoking from their stores in Jackson and did not fear it would hurt business, so long as other family restaurants also complied with the ordinance. The revised ordinance, however, now extends to restaurants such as Schimmel's on State Street and Sal & Mookies—businesses that had expected no consequences from the ordinance debated by the council in March.

Jeff Good, co-owner of Sal & Mookies, Bravo! and Broad Street, said he did not know enough on the fledgling ordinance to hazard a guess on how it might affect business on Tuesday.

Mike Cashion, executive director of the Mississippi Hospitality and Restaurant Association, had opposed past attempts by the council to ban or restrict smoking in privately owned businesses, but was out of town on the morning the council passed the new ordinance and could not be reached.

Cofer said she believed restaurants would benefit from the ban. "It means the restaurants will see an increase of people coming out to enjoy food at night," Cofer said.

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