Bipartisan bill would make Missouri bars and restaurants smoke-free

The following news release was just issued:

State Reps. Jill Schupp, D-Creve Coeur, and Walt Bivins, R-St. Louis County, have filed legislation to create uniform statewide smoke-free standards in bars and restaurants. The bill is HB 1766.

Schupp worked with representatives of the American Lung Association and the American Cancer Society to craft the bill prior to the 2010 legislative session to help bring uniformity and certainty to laws regulating smoking in the state.

“While other states have taken the lead on improving indoor air quality, Missouri has been among the last holdouts,” Schupp said. “The time has come for uniformity statewide to create a healthy environment in all public places and replace the existing patchwork of local restrictions.”

Because of the lack of a statewide law on smoking in bars and restaurant, restrictions vary widely in Missouri. While some cities and counties allow smoking in bars and restaurants, a growing number of local governments in recent years have imposed some type of restrictions. The patchwork of local ordinances, however, has resulted in uneven enforcement and uncertainty as to where smoking is allowed and where it isn’t from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.