Sidney Herald

The Montana House of Representatives voted by a 60-40 margin last week to prohibit smoking in all public places and businesses. The bill now heads for the Senate.

The bill includes outlawing the use of tobacco in all public schools. The bill reads that public school property includes "property owned or occupied by an institution for the teaching of minor children that is established and maintained under the laws of the state of Montana at public expense." The bill would also prohibit the use of tobacco products in "enclosed public places." Examples of "enclosed public places" include restaurants, stores, public transportation, health care facilities, auditoriums, arenas, public meeting rooms, bars and community college facilities.

"It would be a good thing for the community and people," said Stephanie Albin, tobacco prevention specialist at the Richland County Health Department.

Bars and casinos have been exempted until October 2009 provided that smoke from the bar doesn't infiltrate into areas where smoking is prohibited.

Area tavern owners aren't happy about the thought of banning their customers from smoking.

Mike Severson, owner of the Ranger Lounge and Casino, estimates 75 percent of his customers smoke.

"Everybody has the right to come in here or not," Severson said. "You don't have to come in here if it's a smoking establishment."

Severson remembers a California bar owner telling a Montana delegation that bars lost about 25 percent of their business when California went smoke free.

"That's when people like to smoke - when they drink," Severson said. "It doesn't sound good to me."

Penny Roberts, assistant to the manager at the Cattle-ac, said she just came back from a trip to California and that state's no smoking policy seems to work.

"But that's a big city environment. In Sidney, Montana, I'm not for it," Roberts said.

Roberts added there have been customers disappointed there isn't a smoke-free area, but a good amount of the customers do smoke.

"It's a tough decision. I can see both sides," Roberts said.

She adds there are customers who come to the Cattle-ac for lunch just because it's a place where they can also smoke.

"As of right now, I don't see how it couldn't hurt our business," Roberts said.

Lois Franzen, owner of the Triangle Nite Club, says she doesn't like the bill. She notes the Triangle's restaurant portion has both smoking and non-smoking areas.

"If you don't want to smoke, you have a choice," Franzen said.

She sees the bill hurting area businesses. "It's going to cut on business. They will go where they can smoke - at home," Franzen said.

Lola Hansen, owner of the South 40 and Winner's Pub, says about 50 percent of her customers use tobacco.

"Our restaurant has been non-smoking for a couple of years, but I feel it would be disastrous for the bars and casinos to go non-smoking," Hansen said.

Proponents of the bill cite the dangers of second-hand smoke.

editor@sidneyherald.com