Business Owner Says Smoking Ban Is Unfair

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Posted: 5:42 PM Nov 7, 2008
Last Updated: 5:55 PM Nov 7, 2008
Reporter: Dave Spencer
Email Address: dave.spencer@wkyt.com

19 comments

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The smoking ban has been in effect in Fayette County since 2004, and some smokers have learned to cope with the changes.

One smoker told 27 NEWSFIRST that people have adapted to the fact that there are very few places to smoke indoors.

Now, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government has closed the doors on a few smoking loopholes, including the smoking lounge at Blue Grass Airport, bus stops and bingo halls.

Other businesses, like the Fayette Cigar Store and similar businesses, will also see new rules. Before the new rules, retail tobacco stores could allow smokers to light up inside if at least half of what they sold was tobacco products.

Now 75% of all sales have to be tobacco if you want to allow smokers inside.

The owner of the Fayette Cigar Store is skeptical that these new restrictions can even be enforced.

As for who will be in charge of enforcing the new smoking restrictions, Lexington police say they have nothing to do with it. That responsibility falls on the county health department.

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Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.

Posted by: Flat U Lance Location: Lexington on Nov 11, 2008 at 04:08 PM
I have a cure for these public smokers. When I am in a resturaunt and someone lights up next to me, I get up, stick my south end in their face and let one go! That teaches them a lesson!

Posted by: Hillary Location: Lexington on Nov 11, 2008 at 03:59 PM
Hahaha.....Stanton. Now that's funny, where they start smoking at two years of age. Kind of eases you into cussing and spitting.

Posted by: Lori Location: Lexington on Nov 11, 2008 at 11:59 AM
I am so glad that people cannot smoke in public. I'm sorry but I like clean air. I used to smoke myself but have been quit for almost 4 years now. I know it is a pain to go outside but you know what? you suck it up and do it. People don't have the right to inflict their smoke on other people. Like at restaurants I am extremely glad that people cannot smoke in there because my Dad had heart failure and has trouble breathing to begin with. It's nice that he can still frequent restaurants that are smoke free.. same for my 4 year old nephew. I never wanted to smoke in front of kids and older people.. I don't get why others want to as well. they didn't ask for my second hand smoke. In this debate we need to see all sides instead of just being ticked off that you have to get a little cold to go outside and smoke. Lexington I think is a better place in having this ban.

Posted by: Chris Location: Surrounding county on Nov 11, 2008 at 10:32 AM
I think this should be left up to the individual business if they allow smoking, not the government. If all smokers would stop using these business the owners would fight a little harder to dispose of this ban. I was at a Bingo Hall this weekend and it was the first night of non smoking for this group. There were alot of people complaing about this and said they wouldn't go back. I for one will not go back there. I will go to another town which allows smoking. It is your right to smoke or not to smoke and I am very awware of the non smokers around me and I try to be very polite with my smoking, but I don't understand why it can't be a business decision. The way I look at it is this, non smokers have a right to not visit a business if smoke bothers them just like I have a right not to go there because I can't smoke. Whats the difference. And what about alcohol, you don't see anything being done about that and there are a lot of alcohol related deaths from 2nd hand alcohol. Wrecks, murder

Posted by: Anonymous on Nov 11, 2008 at 07:35 AM
I hate this law because it take away right for many people who enjoyed smoking and having nice cold drinks at there favorite place to eat and relax.these peole can not be them selve and have to worry to go outside and smoke and come back in.and sometime lose there place of seat.The business owner is losing money because it. Right now we have other thing to worry about we American people are losing are right in every thing we do.Raising our kid and these whiney non-smoker Get off our back and take a look at your self.and your money people are losing there home and jobs

Posted by: Lex1976 Location: Lex on Nov 11, 2008 at 05:27 AM
To Doug: That's quite a life you want for yourself...smoking yourself to death while screaming the N word. Good luck with that.

Posted by: brandi Location: Stanton on Nov 11, 2008 at 03:48 AM
This is ridiculous, and I'm not a smoker!

Posted by: Stanley-Simmons Location: Lexington on Nov 10, 2008 at 10:13 PM
To "Jethro", I mean "Smoker" who can suck down a "square" in three or less, way to go, you are soo cool! Austin City should have a contest to see who has the lowest oxygen level in their blood. First prize could be a new set of mud flaps and a carton of smokes. Then when your your lungs fail and your insurance won't foot the bill maybe us non-smokers can chip in for your healthcare. Smokers are a rude and nasty lot. They have no consideration for anyone and they smell bad. I am glad you can't smoke in public in Lexington.

Posted by: Steve Location: KY. on Nov 10, 2008 at 05:50 PM
Jeffrey is the moron if he thinks he anything can be done if a person wants to smoke! I think he should have to stop driving his car, period. Those nasty exaust fumes are making me sick. I SAY BAN ALL GAS AND DIESEL ENGINES!!!

Posted by: Jeffrey Location: Lex on Nov 10, 2008 at 08:29 AM
Note to Smoker from Lexington on Nov 9, 2008 at 06:17pm = How many other laws do you break besides the smoking ban? A non-conformist? I'll tell you what, you continue to smoke where you aren't supposed to (and against the law) and I'll drive 85 in a 45 zone, side swipe your car, cause 4,000 in damage and we'll call it even. You see, if you don't want to play by the law of the land, I don't have to either. Do you understand how stupid your comments are now? Smoking is not a right; it's a privilege which unfortunately for you has been taken away. Learn to live with it and quit making asinine comments of you smoke when and where you want and nothing can be done. You are a moron!

Posted by: ABM Location: KY on Nov 10, 2008 at 05:44 AM
I don't understand how we can call ourselves a FREE COUNTRY because the way it looks as of now we are not going to be free for too much longer. If its a private owned business I think the owner should get to choose smoking or non-smoking.

Posted by: Smoker Location: Lexington on Nov 9, 2008 at 06:17 PM
I'll continue to smoke wherever and whenever I want to, and the worst they can do is ask me to put it out. It takes me less than 3 minutes to smoke a cigarette, and by the time someone sees me, reports me to management, and management comes over to ask me to put it out...I'm done. And the only "bar" I go to anymore is Austin City where you can smoke all you want as long as you pay the cover (which pays the nightly fine). They are the ONE business in Lexington who is standing up for their rights. Who is the big, bad government to tell a small business how they can run their business. Govt's only job in that area is to charge for a business license, then stay out of the way!

Posted by: ekykid Location: w.liberty on Nov 9, 2008 at 03:58 PM
In Cincy,Oh. A lot of non-smokers said they didn't go to bars because of the smoke. If a smoking ban was in acted they would go. Now a lot of the Bars went out of business. A business should be allowed to say what they want not some one who never goes to these business.

Posted by: Doug Location: Hyden on Nov 9, 2008 at 10:11 AM
Lets see now... I'm only trying to keep up the correct crowd, No smoking, no alcohol beverage allowed, No N words, keep of the grass, green is good, coal is a dirty word, bla, bla. I give up.

Posted by: Virgil Kleinhelter Location: ky on Nov 8, 2008 at 07:33 PM
why post anything. You won't show it.

Posted by: virgilk Location: KY on Nov 8, 2008 at 04:24 PM
It's sad that people who know next to nothing about a subject are allowed to pass laws regulating it. SHS has not been proven to harm anyone. If it killed anyone, non of us over 40 would be alive. Everyone from the 30's to the late 80's have been exposed to SHS. Where are all the bodies? If the Media told the truth we would have no Bans. The EPA report has been proven to be a fraud by Federal Judge Osteen and two congressional committees. See. http://www.pipes.org/Articles/Bliley.html If those who are proven to have made fraudulent studies were made to serve 10 years in jail our jails would be crowded with anti-smoker scientists.

Posted by: clay on Nov 8, 2008 at 12:06 PM
I don't smoke so my ox ain't being goured. The health nazis are off the charts. When you empower insignificant nerds and turds you create a different set of problems

Posted by: ExLexer Location: NOT Lexington on Nov 8, 2008 at 09:59 AM
I recently moved away from Lexington to a city who has twice voted down a smoking ban. How were they able to do this ? Simple, the restaurant and bar owners united, pooled their financial resources and fought like hell. I was living in Lex when the ban was enacted and the owners didn't do much more than whine and moan. As always in this country, power talks and money buys power. In the beginning, a couple of establishments tried to stand up for their rights, but they were left swinging in the wind while the remainder of their bretheren accepted their fate like good little boys and girls. The Lexington B&R owners are getting exactly what they deserve for allowing this to happen in the first place.

Posted by: Winston Location: Tobacco Road, NC on Nov 8, 2008 at 08:07 AM
Smoking at KEENELAND...PRICELESS!

Posted by: History Buff Location: Ohio on Nov 8, 2008 at 06:03 AM
Someday someone may want to ban people from being in any business. People pass gas!

Posted by: Michael Location: Philadelphia on Nov 8, 2008 at 12:01 AM
How much money will taxpayers have to ante up to cover whatever good work was being done with the money from the bingo halls? Or perhaps the Fayette legislators are planning to cover the shortfall from their own pockets? . Heh... fat chance of that: they'll just assure you that there'll be no problem while knowing perfectly well that it'll be you, not them, who'll end up paying for it in the long run. . Think there won't be any losses? Check out what happened to charitable gambling income in Minnesota as a result of their ban. See: http://banthebanwisconsin.com/Documents/MNGraph.pdf Note that the graph is based on official government figures and referenced back to the official gov. source. The only real point of discussion is whether the total loss is a bit more or a bit less than 30%. . Yes, the graph refers to casinos more than bingos, but bingos get hit too. How much will Fayette pay? . Michael J. McFadden . Author of "Dissecting Antismokers' Brains"

Posted by: Eastern KY on Nov 7, 2008 at 11:25 PM
Health problems due to obesity has now overtaken "SMOKERS". Do you hear or see any laws restricting how much a person eats? How about health insurance companys charging an extra $35 or $45/month on premiums for people who overeat or who do not get the recommended amount of exercise? Smokers have to pay extra, why not people who overeat & do not get any exercise? What about the perfume/body sprays/lotions that people wear that irritate other peoples allergies? What about preservatives/chemicals in our food, drinks, & water? Yeah, let's pick on "SMOKERS" because we have nothing better to do with our time!

Posted by: Pete Location: Lexington on Nov 7, 2008 at 10:15 PM
This is good news for the 80 percent of adults and all kids who don't smoke. It isn't that difficult to smoke outdoors to protect the health of non-smoking staff and customers. It's what is done in the vast majority of the country today.

Posted by: ichoosefreedom Location: ohio on Nov 7, 2008 at 08:49 PM
That's how these fanatics are. You give them restaurants, they want bars. You give them bars, they want smoking lounges and smoking shops. You give them these places and THEY WANT YOUR HOME. When will people stand up and say ENOUGH? Kentucky has been paid handsomely by grants from the makers and profiters of Nicorette and Nicoderm for your smoking bans, all as a marketing strategy. Don't let what happened to Ohio and its businesses happen to Kentucky. Our umployement is the highest it's been since 1992 with Hospitality & Leisure LEADING beating Trade, Utilities and Transportion COMBINED!!! Liquor permit holders lost 67.44 million dollars in potential sales (this does not include beer losses which have been tremendously huge). Private clubs, bars, restaurants and charity halls have all closed at an alarming rate, including all other types of vendors such as musicians, vending machines, etc.

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