HAZELWOOD, MO (KTVI-FOX2now.com)—
With an estimated 20 percent of business at stake, bowling alleys are becoming the battlegrounds for the St. Louis County smoking ban on next week's ballot. The proposed ban has several exemptions for casinos and bars but not for bowling alleys. So owners and users are being very vocal when it comes to a smoking ban, especially since it is only a short drive to other locations where you can smoke and bowl in the same place.Bowling a couple frames is a favored past-time. For many knocking down pins goes with lighting up smokes.
"A lot of them smoke studies show 20-30 percent of bowlers do smoke," argues Tom Shucart of Hazelwood Bowl.
If a majority of voters in St. Louis County say yes to Proposition "N" next week, smoking at Hazelwood Bowl and most other public places would be illegal by 2011. With the Ford plant across the street gone, Shucart fears a smoking ban will chase many of his remaining customers away as well.
"St. Charles County does not have a smoking ban, Jefferson County, Franklin County do not," says Shucart. "We have centers that touch up against these areas Hazelwood bowl here is five miles from St. Charles."
"I really can't see that happening," says former Ballwin Alderman Charles Gatton. He drafted Ballwin's ban and stands by its success and stands behind Proposition "N" even at bowling alleys.
"I don't see why people just can't step outside," argues the former smoker, "I'm aware of the issue of the shoes and frankly you can slip shoes on and off, we don't see the economic issue as being a real deal breaker."
Despite arguments that 20 percent of his business could head west to smoke and strike, Shucart sees the best reason to say no is exemptions for casinos and bars that sell less than 25 percent food.
"Let's make it fair to everybody," Shucart pleads, "we are not condoning smoking obviously there are health issues on smoking what we are trying to do is get the word out that this is by no means a perfect bill it has loopholes."
"There are a number of people that would have preferred a cleaner bill with fewer exemptions," admits Gatton, "but we look at this bill as a floor a solid base."
Kirkwood as well will consider its own smoking ban; it can be more stringent but cannot be more lax than the county's if indeed it does pass November 2nd.
