Cigar Beat Blog

Posted at www.wkuherald.com:

Commission decides against Clean Air Act after year of consideration

Bowling Free, Kentucky
9/20/07

In the second and final vote Tuesday, city officials decided against passing a smoking ordinance that would ban smoking in public areas throughout Warren County.

The ordinance, which has been up for discussion for more than a year, failed 3-2.

Commissioner Brian “Slim” Nash, who sponsored the Clean Air Act, said he had never supported an ordinance prior to this, but wanted to thank everyone on both sides of the issue for participating.

“I will continue to do my part in making sure Bowling Green is a good place to live, with clean air,” he said.

Mayor Elaine Walker, who also voted in favor of the ordinance, said she read in USA Today that Bowling Green is the only large community in the state that doesn’t have a smoking ban.

“As I go around the region, one thing I am very proud of is the fact that we are a progressive community,” Walker said. “But I am extremely saddened that our community is the only one that has not chosen to enact a smoking ban in the entire state.”

Bowling Green resident Sue Duncan said at the meeting people in the community want to be in smoke-free environments.

Duncan said that many people that work in businesses that allow smoking suffer and face problems each day.

Edmonson County resident Linda Farley, who was against the smoking ban, said she’s boycotting all counties in Kentucky that have smoking bans.

Farley travels across the state in her van decorated with First Amendment stickers and visits counties across the state that have enacted smoking bans, only shopping in counties that don’t.

“I’m not paying $20 for a nice piece of steak and have to go outside to smoke the best cigarette of the day,” Farley said. “I want people to know I’m from the United States of America, where we still have rights.”

Commissioner Bruce Wilkerson, who was also against the ban, said he didn’t feel comfortable venturing into an area that the city and county does not usually deal with.

“Bowling Green does not have a Department of Occupational Safety and Health,” said Wilkerson. “The state and federal agency usually deals with issues such as this, so we were expanding the role of city government, and I didn’t feel comfortable doing that.”

Wilkerson said he agrees it’s not easy to give up a job because of smoke in the workplace.

Wilkerson thinks there will eventually be a smoking ban enacted in Bowling Green in the future.

“Eventually, I think it will happen everywhere,” he said.

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