EDITORIAL: Minnesota should breathe life into smoking ban

Publication Date: 2005-03-31

• Author:Editorial
• Publication:Saint Paul (MN) Pioneer Press

After a good bouncing around in the Minnesota Legislature, a proposed statewide smoking ban appears to have gone up in smoke. We'd rather think of it as smoldering away, ready to reignite as an amendment to a related bill.

Why? A statewide smoking ban in bars and restaurants makes far more sense than the patchwork quilt of ordinances now popping up. While it's laudable that many communities scattered across Minnesota are taking action to prevent a toxic substance from doing harm, the Legislature should step up and make the restrictions uniform statewide.