BILOXI, MS (WLOX) -
Councilwoman Lucy Denton will present a smoking ban Tuesday. The ban would limit smoking in public places. She said it's all in an effort to improve the quality of life for Biloxi citizens everywhere.
The ban would obviously bring some major changes, but Denton is willing to compromise. Using input from citizens, she hopes to create a solution everyone is happy with.
"I've had people in my ward call and ask me why we aren't doing it. I've actually been working on this for over a year, trying to come up with some ideas that we could just start with," Denton said.
What Denton really wants citizens to understand is that the ban will not effect every public setting in the city.
"Any place that children could walk into, would be smoke free, but then there are a whole list of exceptions. Such as certain percentages of hotel rooms, private clubs are an exception, private residences, any outdoor area, casino gaming, bars who don't let anyone in over 18 are exempted. I know some people say, 'Well, I don't want to tell anyone what to do.' But again, it comes back to a quality of life and health issues because it has been proven that second hand smoke harms us," Denton added.
A recent study by the University of Minnesota shows that between 70 and 90 percent of non smokers in the American population are exposed to cigarette smoke on a regular basis. If that non smoker spends up to two hours in a room where someone is smoking, they can inhale the equivalent of up to four cigarettes.
"We're surrounded by two cities that are already smoke free. I think for Biloxi to serve its citizens, to provide a safe place to live and raise their children, this is a natural step forward," Denton said.
The meeting will have representatives on hand from the Lung Association and the American Cancer Association. As usual, the meeting is completely open to the public.
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