Tagged: smoking ban

The city of Ironwood in the Upper Peninsula could soon join a handful of Michigan cities that ban smoking in city parks.

On Monday, city commissioners met to discuss a proposal that would ban all tobacco use in Ironwood city parks.

A new study suggests Michigan’s two-year-old public workplace smoking ban has had little effect on the state’s bar and restaurant industry.

A group of bar and restaurant owners in Michigan plans to ban lawmakers from drinking or dining in their establishments, beginning September First.

It’s a campaign to protest Michigan’s smoking ban, which took effect last May. A group called Protect Private Property Rights of Michigan is circulating pictures of the state’s lawmakers, and about 500 bars and restaurants are expected to enforce the ban.

The group’s executive director, Steve Mace, says many of its members have lost a great deal of business as a result of the smoking ban:

State health officials received nearly 15 hundred complaints about businesses violating Michigan’s public smoking ban during the first year of the ban’s existence.  The smoking ban took effect on May 1st, 2010.

James McCurtis is with the Department of Community Health.     He says for a lot of businesses getting a citation for violating the smoking ban has been like getting a speeding ticket from a state trooper. 

It has been one year since the ‘No-Smoking’ signs went up in Michigan bars and restaurants.   Reviews of the one year old state smoking ban are mixed. 

A Macomb County judge has upheld the constitutionality of Michigan’s smoking ban.   But, the ruling will likely not be the last word.   Michigan bar and restaurant owners say they have lost millions of dollars in business since the smoking ban took effect last May.   

The owner of Sporty O’Toole’s, a Macomb County bar, took his fight to court, after he was fined for allowing his patrons to smoke.  A circuit court judge threw out the fine, but also ruled the law is constitutional.  

We reported last week that some 400 Michigan bar owners planned to ignore the state's smoking ban and allow patrons to light up on New Year's Eve.

Steve Mace is with the Protect Private Property Rights Movement in Michigan, the group that organized the protest. He issued a press release today with an update on how the protest went:

"There were an estimated 700 bars that took back their property right on New Years Eve. Exceeding all expectations. While confirmations continue to come in, we are confident this number will grow significantly. Several bar owners have reported already receiving calls from county health departments. Bar owners remain hopeful that the pro-ban lobby and the minority that support them, did in fact flood the county and district health departments with complaints. This will assist to provide conclusive evidence that this ban is in fact enforced 45 separate ways statewide. "