May 16, 2006 5:12 pm US/Central
Fort Worth Council Could Crack Down On Smoking
by Mary Stewart
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 News) ―
Some Fort Worth leaders promised Tuesday to crack down on smoking in public.
Some council members say the city has fallen behind the trend to curb second-hand smoke.
"In 1997 when the ordinance was first passed we were ahead of the curve," councilmember Kathleen Hicks said. "Now we're behind. We need to be in line with what other cities are doing."
But Perry Tong of Pop's Safari Cigar Bar and restaurant disagreed, saying Dallas is no example: "Dallas, which has been historically kind of ridiculous on some of their mandates, I think, embarrassed their city. And I don't think our Fort Worth City Council people will go that far."
Currently, Fort Worth bars that produce less than 30 percent of their revenue from selling food are exempt from the smoking controls, along with ones that have special smoke-eating equipment.
Mayor Mike Moncrief wants a tougher ordinance. "It was a hard fought battle to get (where we are), and I don't want us to pedal backward," he argued. "And I don't think this council does either."
The council will ask a committee of business owners, tourism officials and citizens to work out its recommendations on the smoking issue.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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