Friday, June 11, 2004

‘No smoking’ all over PTC? A south metro community may join the nation-wide movement against smoking. A proposed ordinance that would ban smoking “in all enclosed public places in Peachtree City” will be up for discussion when a special committee meets Wednesday, June 16 at 6 p.m. at City Hall. The meeting is open to the public, and input is encouraged from residents and business owners, said Peachtree City Mayor Steve Brown. Under the proposed ordinance, the ban would include enclosed areas in restaurants and bars, retail stores, public areas in buildings run by businesses and non-profit entities and common areas at multi-family residential areas. The ban would also be enforced at enclosed areas at convention facilities, service lines, shopping malls, sports arenas, polling places and “facilities primarily used for exhibiting a motion picture, stage, drama, lecture, musical recital or other similar performance.” The ban would also include all enclosed areas maintained by the city, according to the proposed ordinance. Specifically exempted from the ban under the proposed ordinance are private homes (except when used as a licensed child care, adult day care or health care facility), hotel and motel rooms designated as smoking rooms, retail tobacco stores, special smoking rooms in nursing homes and long-term care facilities and outdoor areas of employment. The proposed ordinance would also ban smoking within 25 feet of an enclosed area where smoking is prohibited “so as to insure that tobacco smoke does not enter the area through entrances, windows, ventilation systems or other means.” Kathie Cheney, a Peachtree City resident who has crusaded for laws to create smoke-free environments for the public, will likely be a member of the committee, but no others have yet been chosen to serve on the committee, said city public information officer Betsy Tyler. It is likely that committee members will be selected from those who attend next week’s meeting, Tyler added. The proposed ordinance is available for download from the city’s web site, www.peachtree-city.org.