Open Column ; No Downside in Sight to Clean-Air Ordinance

Summary

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Editor, the Tribune: I strongly urge the city council to take action on Monday night to protect workers and patrons of public establishments from secondhand smoke. Strengthening our smoking ordinance is not a radical action. It is a wise move that would put Columbia in step with many other communities in Missouri and elsewhere in the United States.

Making restaurants, bars and other establishments smoke-free would have several good outcomes. It would reduce the exposure of workers in those businesses to the toxic substances in tobacco smoke. It would send a message to youths and young adults that smoking is not the "norm," and they do not have to be in a smoky environment to socialize and have fun. And it would make dining out and socializing safer and more pleasant for the vast majority of people who do not smoke.

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Extract

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Open Column ; No Downside in Sight to Clean-Air Ordinance

The bad outcomes that have been rai...

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