St. Louis Post Dispatch: Bowling Proprietors in News about Smoking Ban Proposal

Smoking ban would hurt bowling alleys, group says

By Margaret Gillerman

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

10/15/2009

UNIVERSITY CITY — The smoking ban on the Nov. 3 ballot in St. Louis County would severely hurt bowling alleys there if passed, a proprietors' group said Wednesday.

Representatives of the 23-member Greater St. Louis Bowling Proprietors Association were at a news conference Wednesday in the Delmar Loop to announce their opposition to Proposition N.

Carolyn Haupt, who owns Hazelwood Bowl, said her business had been off since the Ford plant in Hazelwood closed in March 2006.

"If the St. Louis County smoking ban passes, that will be the nail in our coffin," Haupt said.

Also voicing opposition to the ban were a coalition of owners of bars, restaurants, tobacco shops and others making up Citizens Against Proposition N.

Scott Simon, a spokesman for the bowling association, and its president, Tom Shucart, said they planned a media campaign to oppose the ban.

Haupt said about half the bowlers at her alley smoke.

"Nobody is trying to condone smoking, but the ban doesn't give us an even playing field," Haupt said.

The ban would prohibit smoking in indoor public areas countywide except on casino floors, in smoking lounges at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport and in bars whose income from food is 25 percent or less of gross income.

On the other side, supporters of Proposition N have formed their own committee, County Citizens for Cleaner Air. Advocates of a ban say also that the St. Louis area and Missouri lag far behind most of the rest of the country in adopting bans. Only Clayton, Ballwin and Arnold have adopted bans and a ban is on the ballot in Kirkwood in November. Other Missouri cities with bans include Kansas City, Columbia and Springfield. Illinois has a statewide ban.

At the news conference, Jon Rand, president of Discount Smoke Shops and a ban opponent, said that as long as neighboring jurisdictions do not have smoking bans, St. Louis County businesses could be hurt by a ban.

"Why would you want to drive business from one county to another — put jobs in jeopardy — during a time like this?" Rand said.

The Rev. Harold Hendrick of the Bott Radio Network said St. Louis County government was "coddling casinos" by exempting casino floors.

"Once again, government has caved in to predatory casinos," he said.