Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

Minnesota smokers brace for ban
By Aaron Swenson
University Chronicle (St. Cloud State U.)
06/18/2007

(U-WIRE) ST. CLOUD, Minn. — "No Smoking" signs, will not be needed indoors in Minnesota anymore, as the Freedom to Breathe Act banned smoking in the workplace.

The bill was passed to protect Minnesota workers from breathing second-hand smoke while on the job.

"I think that it is great," senior and non-smoker Sarah Strasser said. "When I wake up in the morning after working the night before, I am congested and smell like smoke. Now I can go to work or out for dinner or a drink and not worry about it."

After years of debate, the Minnesota House and Senate came to an agreement in April, passing the statewide smoking ban at all Minnesota bars, restaurants and other public establishments.

Governor Tim Pawlenty finalized the bill by signing the Freedom to Breathe Act May 16, making Minnesota the 20th state to ban smoking in places of employment.

The Freedom to Breathe Act was drawn to add on to the Minnesota Clean Air Act of 1975, which was set up to limit smoking in public places, public meetings and to designate certain areas where people could smoke.

Before the ban became official, a statewide poll was set up to see how Minnesotans felt about a possible statewide smoking ban and 69 percent favored the idea.

The statewide smoking ban will take effect Oct. 1, 2007, and some smokers are using Oct. 1 as a day to end their use of tobacco all together.

"A lot of my friends have a goal to quit smoking by October 1, and I think the ban is helping them quit, and it will defiantly help by not having smoke around us when we go out," Strasser said.

Heather Peterson is a casual smoker and said the ban is going to make it easier for her to quit smoking by not having to be around it.

The statewide ban will also include a ban on smoking in all modes of Minnesota public transportation, such as cabs, buses and light rail.

Up to $300 in fines will be handed out to patrons who choose to light up at any of the states restricted public establishments.

Exceptions were placed into the law and there are ways smokers will be able to light up indoors.

The House also included some exemptions and ways to allow smoking to continue in establishments.

One of the ban exemptions is the opportunity for establishments that make more revenue in the sales of alcohol than food to be eligible to apply for a smoking-room exemption.

It must apply to its local government, and if the local government or city council approves the license, the bar would then have to provide a ventilated smoking room for non-smoking patrons.

"If the law says that everyone has to be non-smoking, then they should all stay that way, because if there are exceptions made, then one place has the advantage of making more money by allowing smoking," Strasser said.

Peterson agreed and said it would be an advantage for certain establishments in big cities to be able to have smoking.

But not being able to smoke will not stop Peterson from going to establishments.

"I don't think that businesses will be hurt by the smoking ban because it's a statewide smoking ban and most college students are not going to stop going downtown because they can't smoke," Peterson said.

The smoking ban brings up questions about personal freedom. SCSU students are currently allowed to smoke anywhere on campus, except for indoors.

Public Safety said it does not have any legislation on regulating smoking on campus, but in May, before the statewide ban passed the House and Senate, Minnesota State-Moorhead passed a bill to ban tobacco use and sales on its campus.

The smoking ban at Moorhead will take effect on all university properties and vehicles Jan. 1, 2008.

After the University of Minnesota received complaints from its students about excess smoking in front of campus buildings and bus stops, the university is now looking into the issue.

"I think that it is a good idea to ban smoking on campus, but there are a lot of students and faculty on campus that smoke, and a ban would probably piss them off," Strasser said.

Peterson felt differently about campus smoking.

"I do not agree with stopping smoking on campus, because it is outside and it's our choice if we want to smoke," Peterson said. "But I do think smoking should be done from a distance, away from entrances."

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