Comments on: Decatur Likely to Review Open Spaces Smoking Ordinance This Year

By: Decatur Metro

Decatur Metro — Wed, 30 May 2012 21:14:56 +0000

Pete, she provided this clarification, which may help…

“My answer was not clear in that the sidewalk table plan permit is necessary when an establishment wants to locate tables on city-owned rights-of-way. Smoking will not be allowed in an area requiring a sidewalk table plan permit. Tables located on private property or on decks or open areas located on private property are not required to have a sidewalk table plan permit. In those cases, smoking is regulated as described in the City’s “Clean Air” ordinance, which does not generally prohibit smoking in open areas.

The requirements for a sidewalk table plan permit apply to renewal licenses beginning October 1, 2012 in terms of submitting a sidewalk table plan. The sidewalk table permit and subsequent no smoking regulation will be effective with the annual license renewal date which is January 1, 2013. This gives applicants time to get their sidewalk table plan permitted and make the transition.

We will be sending out a letter to all establishments that have a current alcoholic beverage license for the retail sale on premises explaining the ordinance requirements by July 1, 2012 so that they will have time to establish their plan before we send out alcoholic beverage license renewal forms.”

By: Liz W

Liz W — Wed, 30 May 2012 15:59:03 +0000

The CDC figures don’t take into account either the taxes collected from smokers or the fact that they die, on average, 10 years earlier than nonsmokers.
Several studies, at least one of which I know of in the United States, show that the costs of care during those “extra” years for nonsmokers outweighs the costs of healthcare for smokers.
That being said, I watched a close relative die of non-smoking related lung cancer, and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. It’s a terrible way to die, and I encourage anyone who smokes to meet at least one cancer patient before they decide to continue smoking.

By: smalltowngal

smalltowngal — Wed, 30 May 2012 14:25:44 +0000

And I’ll bet that doesn’t even include the collective time and energy spent participating in this type of discussion.

By: tom

tom — Wed, 30 May 2012 14:12:28 +0000

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that smokers cost the country $96 billion a year in direct health care costs, and an additional $97 billion a year in lost productivity.

By: DawgFan

DawgFan — Wed, 30 May 2012 13:35:10 +0000

“Smoking is prohibited at tables included in a sidewalk table plan permit area and within five feet of any such area boundary. ”

UJ doesn’t have a sidewalk table plan permit as its outside seating is on private property and not public right of way, so I don’t think the 5 foot rule is applicable. I read the ordinance to mean that you can’t smoke within five feet of sidewalk table areas. It does not state that you can’t smoke within five feet of any sidewalk.