Aiken to vote on smoking ban
Aiken City Council will hear the second and likely final reading of a proposed indoor smoking ban tonight.
The proposal, which would ban smoking in city-owned facilities, enclosed places and the workplace, was unanimously approved by Council members at the ordinance’s first reading last month. The issue has been a hot topic for City residents ever since the City began moving forward with creating the ordinance in May, shortly after the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled to uphold Greenville’s smoking ordinance.
Along with the City of Aiken, the City of North Augusta is also in the midst of creating a smoke-free municipality, with a proposal set to go to a final vote in coming weeks.
The City of Aiken’s ordinance would prohibit smoking in public places, such as re-tail stores, restaurants and public transportation facilities. Smoking would be allowed at City outdoor sporting arenas under the ordinance. If approved, those caught in violation of the ordnance could faced fines from $10 to $25. Business owner found in repeated violation of the proposal could also have their licenses suspended or revoked.
Before bringing the ordinance before Council, City officials held a public informa-tion meeting for input on the proposal, which was met with both good and bad reviews. Some supporters of the ordinance have argued that smoking is a health issue, lamenting the harmful effects of second-hand smoke. Some who oppose the proposal have argued that a smoking ordinance infringes on their personal rights to light up.
For some local bar owners, a stronger City of Aiken ordinance would create unfair competition with neighboring business owners, therefore uniformity is needed with the City and County ordinances, said West Bowery owner Sam Erb.
City manager Roger LeDuc has said that a copy of the City’s proposed ordinance has been sent to Aiken County officials for review.
– The Aiken Standard, distributed by McClatchy Tribune Information Services
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Tags: Smoking ban