Kansas to sign statewide smoking ban bill Friday
Justin Young
Issue date: 3/11/10 Section: Campus Life
Kansas will have a statewide smoking ban on Friday, March 12.
The bill that will be signed into law this Friday is a step that Kansas legislators hope will save an estimated 380 Kansans' lives per year.
A major supporter of the bill is Rep. Charles Roth, a Salina Republican.
"This is good for Kansas," Roth said. "It will save lives of many Kansans and money. It will also make Kansas a better place for workers and a better place to raise children."
The bill's primary focus is on the workers in Kansas' commercial sector, to make it harder to pollute the air with hopes of increasing business and the economy.
The concept of the Kansas smoking ban bill is to give the state the power to regulate the places where smoking can and cannot take place. However, there is a special clause in the bill that allows counties and the cities within the counties to make their own restrictions, as long as it's not lower than the statewide law.
For example, the state law says that in any city, 80 percent of hotels or motels must be smoke free. This means Pittsburg could enact a city ordinance that says 90 percent of hotels must be smoke free, but it couldn't enact an ordinance that states 79 percent or less of hotels/motels must be smoke free.
The bill sets a statewide law that bans smoking in restaurants and bars, as well as the 80 percent of hotels and motels. As far as residential areas go, the bill allows for the continuation of smoking in private residences, but bans it when one runs a daycare or other public home business inside their residence.
On the other hand, the smoking ban does allow for smoking in casinos, which presently, Kansas has only one. It allows for smoking in A and B clubs, meaning private and public clubs that allow drinking. Twenty percent of hotels and motels do allow smoking, along with tobacco shops, where 65 percent or more of its income comes from the sale of tobacco and tobacco products.
Meryl Haines, sophomore in physical education, says the bill will be beneficial.
"I don't smoke personally, but I don't (like) people smoking around me that much, just too much of it gives me a headache," Haines said. "Maybe if smoking is allowed in bars or other places, that wouldn't be so bad as long as they are ventilated properly."
Although the bill will be signed into law, there were a few people who disagreed with it, such as Republican Rep. Lance Kinzer of Olathe.
"There are other solutions to this problem that are not government-mandated solutions," he said. "The question here today is one of liberty."
Matt Lewis, junior in physical education, says the bill should be enacted.
"With this ban, we can help clean up our air," Lewis said.
The bill that will be signed into law this Friday is a step that Kansas legislators hope will save an estimated 380 Kansans' lives per year.
A major supporter of the bill is Rep. Charles Roth, a Salina Republican.
"This is good for Kansas," Roth said. "It will save lives of many Kansans and money. It will also make Kansas a better place for workers and a better place to raise children."
The bill's primary focus is on the workers in Kansas' commercial sector, to make it harder to pollute the air with hopes of increasing business and the economy.
The concept of the Kansas smoking ban bill is to give the state the power to regulate the places where smoking can and cannot take place. However, there is a special clause in the bill that allows counties and the cities within the counties to make their own restrictions, as long as it's not lower than the statewide law.
For example, the state law says that in any city, 80 percent of hotels or motels must be smoke free. This means Pittsburg could enact a city ordinance that says 90 percent of hotels must be smoke free, but it couldn't enact an ordinance that states 79 percent or less of hotels/motels must be smoke free.
The bill sets a statewide law that bans smoking in restaurants and bars, as well as the 80 percent of hotels and motels. As far as residential areas go, the bill allows for the continuation of smoking in private residences, but bans it when one runs a daycare or other public home business inside their residence.
On the other hand, the smoking ban does allow for smoking in casinos, which presently, Kansas has only one. It allows for smoking in A and B clubs, meaning private and public clubs that allow drinking. Twenty percent of hotels and motels do allow smoking, along with tobacco shops, where 65 percent or more of its income comes from the sale of tobacco and tobacco products.
Meryl Haines, sophomore in physical education, says the bill will be beneficial.
"I don't smoke personally, but I don't (like) people smoking around me that much, just too much of it gives me a headache," Haines said. "Maybe if smoking is allowed in bars or other places, that wouldn't be so bad as long as they are ventilated properly."
Although the bill will be signed into law, there were a few people who disagreed with it, such as Republican Rep. Lance Kinzer of Olathe.
"There are other solutions to this problem that are not government-mandated solutions," he said. "The question here today is one of liberty."
Matt Lewis, junior in physical education, says the bill should be enacted.
"With this ban, we can help clean up our air," Lewis said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
Jake Henderson
posted 3/11/10 @ 11:39 AM CST
Go ahead and let them sign a state wide smoking ban. Ive already made my switch to those new Crown7 electric cigarettes, I don't need regular smokes anyway!
Thomas Laprade
posted 3/11/10 @ 9:56 PM CST
Government power the real health hazard
The bandwagon of local smoking bans now steamrolling from sea to sea
has nothing to do with protecting people from the "threat of second-hand
smoke" but are themselves symptoms of a far more grievous threat: a
cancer that has been spreading for decades throughout the body politic,
reaching even the tiniest organs of local government. (Continued…)
jimdiggerson
Thesis writing service
posted 6/25/10 @ 3:44 AM CST
Great fact that the bill allows for the continuation of smoking in private residences, but bans it when one runs a daycare or other public home business inside their residence. (Continued…)
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