Smoking Hot in Illinois

By Sean Corbett in News on Oct 24, 2006 2:43PM

The Illinois State Senate is considering a state-wide ban on smoking. Senator Terry Link from Vernon Hills introduced a bill that’s basically the same as what we’re currently living with in Chicago. The bill serves the purpose of easing the woes of businesses in municipalities where smoking has already been banned. They are loosing business as their smoking customers are willing to drive to other bars and restaurants where smoking is allowed.

Any statewide ban would most-likely follow Chicago’s lead in allowing bars a few years (until 2008?!) to get compliant. That’s a ton of time. We’re thinking waiting until 08 is less about bars needing time to “get compliant” than it is about giving other legislatures time to change their laws. We don’t want Chicago to be an island of non-smoking and all of our bar patrons to start leaving the city to get their kicks. But of course we don’t want to tell people that this state-wide ban is what we were hoping for all along. Yes…. It’s all about everyone being healthy….. as long as it doesn’t hurt the local economy.

In related news: Scientists at Loyola University are one step closer to getting people to quit smoking without resorting to legislative action. By employing lung tests to tell people just how messed up their lungs are as a result of smoking and phone support groups for counseling, a whole 16% of the studies participants were able to quit for six months.

Chicagoist doesn’t consider itself a smoker, although we’ve found the occasional evening of hookah smoking and chatting with friends to be quite enjoyable. Here’s to everyone living longer on average and to finding other ways to start up conversations besides “can I bum a cigarette?”!!

Thanks to Dshot for the image!