State Senator Vivian Figures', D-Mobile, bill to ban smoking in restaurants statewide is close to passing this legislative session.
All the bill lacks for complete passage is a vote on the House floor.
Figures' bill effectively bans smoking in establishments that derive most of their revenues from food sales and leaves out businesses who garner more of their profits from the sale of alcohol, known to most of us as bars.
Many restaurant owners complain the bill is unfair, saying that they will lose businesses when smokers are forced to go elsewhere to light up.
How effective can this measure truly be?
By limiting its power to only the domain of restaurants, the state is still leaving large swaths of businesses untouched and unrestrained.
If this bill was actually aimed at the concern of public health, it would make more sense to have the ban encompass all public areas, much like the ones here in Auburn and Opelika.
Figures' bill won't effect life much here in Auburn; our citywide smoking ban is already more comprehensive than the one proposed.
This bill feels like a cop-out, a compromise fused together with capitulation, timidity and defeatism.
Even the American Cancer Society has come out against the bill, claiming it doesn't do enough to combat the host of medical issues smoking brings.
It is a significantly watered-down version of Figures' previous attempts to get a ban in place, an anemic shadow of what once was a top issue for the senator.
The woman from Mobile figures correctly this bill is the best she can do and still have it become law, and, sadly, she's right.
While smoking is and will continue to be a major public health concern, it is also an issue that strongly taps into the oh-so American ideals of personal freedom that we tend to hold dear.
Even if a comprehensive ban on restaurants and bars was passed, there would still be establishments that would continue to flaunt disobeying the law, continuing to smoke in their establishments as they have for decades.
We have always been a state that dares "defend our rights," and smoking is apparently one of the ones for which we will fight.
Given the anti-anti-smoking backlash, perhaps it's a miracle Figures even got the bill to go this far.
While we remain unconvinced the bill will do any greatly recognizable good, we weakly endorse the efforts shown.
The phrase "It's better than nothing" comes to mind.
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