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Dec 9, 2008 7:03 pm US/Central
Dallas Smoking Ban Expands, With 'Cigar Clause'
DALLAS (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
The smoking ban in the City of Dallas is set to spread beyond restaurants and shopping malls. The city council will look at adding bars and pool halls to the "no smoking" ordinance. A vote is expected tomorrow… but, there's a twist called the 'cigar clause'.
Some city leaders say the 'cigar clause' will be used to fight drug use in communities.
Cigars are displayed prominently on sales racks in convenience stores, but one councilman believes cigars are simple tools for smoking crack and marijuana and he wants the smoking ban to help snuff out drug use.
They're easy to find - individual cigars for sale, costing just 65 or 75 cents. But it's no secret; the cigar is often used as a tool for smoking something else. "Most of them buy them because its drug related," Dallas resident Donald Conwright explained. "Everybody knows that."
In drug life, they're called 'blunts' or 'primos'. Dallas City Councilman Dwaine Caraway sees a means to an end. He wants to use the city's smoking ordinance to also ban the sale of individual cigars.
"Just like we just witnessed a case where the little two-year-old was smoking; he was smoking that very same type of cigar - that 'blunt'," Caraway said.
Under the city's tougher smoking ban proposal, there's a cigar section. A person would violate the law if they sold an individual cigar, or a cigar pack with less than five cigars. The rule would not apply to tobacco shops or cigar boutiques.
Caraway says the cigar sales are a blight on the quality of life in South Dallas.
Those buying the items Tuesday said a ban won't stop the drug problem. "People are going to do what they want to do anyway," says Lynette McKenzie. "They're going to do their drugs, so they're just taking money out of their [store owners] pocket."
Shop owners were reluctant to talk to us about the 'cigar clause' ban. If passed, 'cigar clause' violators could face a $500 fine.
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