new smoking cigarettes ban proposal being introduced Jan. 9 in the City-County Council is largely similar to a measure that failed to get out of committee this month. It would expand Marion County's smoking cigarettes ban to bars; restaurants that allow only patrons who are 18 or older; hotel rooms; and bowling alleys. Exemptions covering 60 or fewer establishments fall into three categories:
» Retail discount cigarette online shops, based on at least 85 percent of sales from tobacco-related products.
» Existing nonprofit private or fraternal organizations, including veterans halls, if a majority of members vote before July 1 to retain smoking cigarettes. Private clubs could not allow children if they allow adults to smoke, even in separate nonsmoking cigarettes areas.
» Existing hookah and cigar bars, defined as deriving at least 20 percent of annual sales from specialty cigarettes store products. They could not allow cigarette smoking cigarettes.
Who's covered?
The expanded ban would affect Indianapolis but not Beech Grove and Southport, which lack bans, or Speedway and Lawrence, which have bans similar to Marion County's current one. However, the Southport City Council is considering a similar new measure, and a Lawrence councilman said he'd propose matching Indianapolis' new standards.
Smoking bans elsewhere
According to the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation, 479 U.S. municipalities have 100 percent smoke-free workplaces, restaurants and bars. Hundreds more have less-restrictive smoking cigarettes bans.