Posted: 9/25/07
Smoking ban takes effect Oct. 1
By Ken Tschumper
District 31B representative
The statewide smoking ban approved by the Minnesota Legislature last session goes into effect Monday, October 1. Under this new law, all bars, restaurants, and clubs will be smoke-free. Rep. Ken Tschumper (DFL - LaCrescent), a member of the conference committee that crafted the final proposal, is pleased to see this legislation being implemented.
"This is the most important public health initiative in the last 25 years," said Rep. Tschumper. "Too many people have already suffered from the dangerous effects of second-hand smoke. Iím glad that Minnesota has joined 24 other states and the District of Columbia in enacting statewide smoke-free legislation."
A survey conducted in December of 2006 by the American Cancer Society and Clear Way Minnesota showed that 69 percent of Minnesotans support a statewide smoking ban that includes bars and restaurants.
"Most Minnesotans think this is the right thing to do. The majority of my constituents who contacted me regarding this legislation supported it," said Tschumper. "I was glad to represent my constituents and the majority of Minnesotans in voting for this bill."
The Minnesota Department of Health has made information available to bars, restaurants, and other employers on how to effectively comply with this new law on their website at www.health.state.mn.us/freedomtobreathe/.
Rep. Tschumper encourages any person with a question on how to comply with this new law to contact him by phone at (651) 296-9278 or by email at rep.ken.tschumper@house.mn.
"By banning smoking in restaurants and bars statewide with no exceptions, we created a level playing field for all businesses," stated
Tschumper. "Protecting the health and welfare of employees and customers in these establishments was the top priority in enacting this new law."
Exempt from the smoking ban are family farms with two or less employees, tobacco shops, certain healthcare situations, and tobacco research studies.
Caledonia Argus
314 West Lincoln St.
P.O. Box 227
Caledonia, MN 55921-0227
507/724-3475
E-Mail: editor.argus@ecm-inc.com