UNIVERSITY CITY, MO (KTVI-myFOXstl.com)—
Chicago and Kansas City have imposed smoking bans in public places and now St. Louis city and county are being pressured to follow suit. University City is joining Creve Couer, Olivette, Overland, and Clayton in considering a smoking ban. Limit Street is where U-City and St. Louis meet and the push is on to not only erase smoking on both sides of that street."It's a niche. We have a bar that is different," says Amsterdam Tavern bartender Bert Nelson.
"If anything it's helped us because the people come in here because we are non-smoking," says Nelson.
The Amsterdam Tavern is smoke free by choice but Nelson sees every other bar in the city not having the choice soon.
"Every major municipality is going to it. States are going to it. It's a matter of time."
The push is on for that matter of time to be within the next ten months says Smoke Free St. Louis Coalition's Diana Benanti.
"We are looking for positive change in 2009,"
Specifically, they hope for the city of St. Louis to start a smoking ban.
"It only takes one community to pave the way and we need St. Louis city to go smoke free," she says.
Some suburbs could beat the big city to a ban. Tuesday night the Clayton council heard from Ballwin's Mayor about that city's ban and they are well on their way to considering one in Clayton. Clayton will join forces with Creve Coeur, Olivette, Overland, and University City in forcing smoking outside.
"At this point we are considering and discussing the possibility," Clayton Mayor Linda Goldstein told the crowd in the council chambers.
While it may be a possibility in Clayton, smoking ban opponent Bill Hannegan can't see it as a possibility further east on Forest Park Parkway.
"We have nothing against a smoking ban we just ask that the smoking ban be imposed by the business owner not government," says Hannegan. "Even if the county does do it the city has to hold on to every possible dollar and I think they may let the county go it alone."
While five near suburbs may be trying it, it is not on any serious schedule in the City of St. Louis.
