K.C. smoking ban ballot issue

COLUMN

By By Mark Johnson

Kansas City voters will have the opportunity to approve a no-smoking measure in the upcoming election on Tuesday, April 8.

The measure, which would ban smoking in nearly all public areas except the gaming floors of Kansas City casinos and outdoor concourses of the Truman Sports Complex, deserves serious consideration as it is holds the strong potential to improve the community’s overall health and was initiated through the petition process.

Those two factors are significant considering the cost everyone pays for smoking-related illnesses, including heart and lung diseases, and the fact that it took this measure being initiated by the public for the city to take any action on the issue.

The measure also provides protection for children who otherwise may be placed in harmful environments where there is significant risk of secondhand smoke.

This fact cannot be overlooked as the ordinance currently in effect falls short of providing adequate protection for children just as attempts did to provide protection from secondhand smoke with smoking and nonsmoking areas in established restaurants.

Making the assumption that children will not be in eating establishments that also serve alcohol after 9 p.m. is just not realistic.

All one needs to do is go into one of the popular neighborhood restaurants on a weekend night.

Families with young children will be there.

Those who would assume the measure would lead to many drinking establishments being forced to close their doors if the proposal is approved are also being unrealistic, based on experiences in communities across the state line and in other areas where there have been no wholesale closings of bars despite the dire warnings.

In fact, as more communities consider and implement non-smoking measures, with the current state of strong public support for nonsmoking measures, the playing field is only going to grow more level and provide benefits for the region, not just the city.

The measure on the April 8 ballot should be approved.