Council snuffs smoking ban, for now

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - The City County Council decided Monday night that the proposed smoking ban needs more thought.

The council sent the ordinance back to the Community Affairs Committee. While in the committee, changes to the ordinance could be made to gain more support. The committee will receive the ban in January, it then could come back before the council in the spring.

Supporters of " Smoke Free Indy " took their message to Mayor Greg Ballard ahead of the Monday night council meeting. More than 700 letters were delivered to the mayor's office expressing support for a full ban on smoking in Marion County.

Special Section: Marion County Smoking Ban

At issue is whether to ban smoking in all public places in Marion County including restaurants and bars. Cigar bars and hookah bars would not be included.

Tim Filler of "Smoke Free Indy" said, "We were unhappy we didn't get all the work places we wanted in 2005 and if we have to keep coming back. Then we will keep coming back but it would be nice to cover as many as possible this time around as well."

Lauren Koors is a cocktail waitress at Brothers, a smoke-free bar.

She added, "I've also worked at the Broad Ripple Tavern which is a smoking bar and I actually left that job for the majority reason that I wanted to have a smoke-free environment. I would wake up in the morning with coughing, my voice was gone. It was just a very uncomfortable situation. It was just an uncomfortable situation that you would have to breathe in smoke for a 10 hour shift."

After the letters were delivered, the mayor's deputy chief of staff, Robert Vane, commented " I think the mayor has made it very clear that despite the efforts and the passion of the folks who are in favor of an expansion of the smoking ban that the mayor does not support that but he has given due credit to the good faith of the people are passionate on the issue."

Mayor Ballard has already threatened to veto the ordinance if it is approved in its current form.