KHOU-11 is reporting that anti-smoking activists and some city councilmembers are lobbying for a tougher smoking ban than the one Mayor White is proposing:
Anti-smoking activists are showing their strength at Houston’s City Hall. They’re pushing political leaders to ban smoking at all of the city’s bars and restaurants.
Some City Hall insiders say councilmembers are beginning to push for a tougher ordinance against public smoking.
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Down at Houston’s City Hall, the mayor wants to ban smoking in the dining areas of Houston restaurants. But some councilmembers are lobbying for even tighter restrictions on smoking.
“To try to make Houston a smoke free city,” says former councilmember Felix Frag, who lobbying for a stronger anti-smoking policy Tuesday.
And smoking opponents have been crowding council chambers.
“Prefereably, on my own, it’d probably be a total ban, which they’ve done in so many other places,” says Quan. When asked if he’d favor a ban on smoking in all bars and restaurants? Quan said, “Yes.”
If a restaurant wants to market itself as a non-smoking restaurant, that’s great. But it’s discouraging to see government stepping in to tell restaurants they have to be non-smoking.
