Iowa's smoking ban: The butts are piling up
Is more litter one of the law's unintended consequences?
By Earl Horlyk, Journal staff writer | Posted: Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Cigarette butts lay in a tree planter outside of Tom Foolery's in the 1000 block of Historic Fourth Street Tuesday. (Staff photo by Jerry Mennenga)
SIOUX CITY -- Mike Salviola is waging an increasingly messy battle of the butts.
According to Salviola, the number of discarded cigarette butts toss on the ground outside of his business, Buffalo Alice, has increased dramatically since the statewide smoking ban went into effect on July 1.
"It's terrible!" he said. "We have to sweep the sidewalk everyday but still many of the cigarette butts end up in the curb. You ought to see our sidewalk on a Saturday morning or a Sunday morning. That's when it gets really bad."
Iowa's smoking ban was approved last spring but opponents are still finding ways to express their displeasure.
Businesses that don't prepare food can allow smoking on outdoor patios. But many bars that also serve food, like Buffalo Alice, must force smokers to light up outdoors. That has folks like Salviola asking why the state can't allow bar/restaurants to provide smoker friendly patios.
"If people can't put out their cigarettes in an ashtray, they'll just drop it in the street or on the sidewalk," Salviola said, adding that he's considering putting receptacles with sand around lampposts that surround his establishment.
"We've tried to put 3-foot-tall free-standing receptacles in the past," he noted, "but they'd inevitably be toppled over."
Renee Stoos, owner of Red's Pierce Street Pub, said she's also seen increase in the number of discarded cigarette butts outside of her business's door.
"I've seen 'em at the door in front, in back, in our parking lot, on the street, in the curbs," she said. "Everywhere."
But Stoos said she's come up with a novel solution to snuff discarded puffs.
"I had an old planter that I was no longer using," she explained. "Instead of putting another plant inside, I placed sand plus a sign that instructed folks to put out their cigarettes in it."
Has it worked?
"About 50 percent of the time," Stoos noted.
Which is a better result than what Rhonda Capron has had with the six receptacles she's placed around her business, Rhonda's Speak Easy.
"People are using our receptacles to throw everything away," she said with a groan. "Everything, that is, except their cigarette butts.
Capron, who plans on adding a smoking patio next month, said cleaning up butts is difficult at her business.
"Our parking lot is gravel," she explained. "It's impossible to sweep a gravel parking lot."
Capron quickly added discarded cigarettes butts is not just a problem facing bar or restaurant owners.
"You can call any business owner and they'll tell you the smoking ban has brought an increase in litter," she said. "That's because there's an increase of people hanging outside, smoking cigarettes. That, in itself, looks horrible. Plus, it's certainly not doing our environment any favors."
According to Salviola, the number of discarded cigarette butts toss on the ground outside of his business, Buffalo Alice, has increased dramatically since the statewide smoking ban went into effect on July 1.
"It's terrible!" he said. "We have to sweep the sidewalk everyday but still many of the cigarette butts end up in the curb. You ought to see our sidewalk on a Saturday morning or a Sunday morning. That's when it gets really bad."
Iowa's smoking ban was approved last spring but opponents are still finding ways to express their displeasure.
Businesses that don't prepare food can allow smoking on outdoor patios. But many bars that also serve food, like Buffalo Alice, must force smokers to light up outdoors. That has folks like Salviola asking why the state can't allow bar/restaurants to provide smoker friendly patios.
"If people can't put out their cigarettes in an ashtray, they'll just drop it in the street or on the sidewalk," Salviola said, adding that he's considering putting receptacles with sand around lampposts that surround his establishment.
"We've tried to put 3-foot-tall free-standing receptacles in the past," he noted, "but they'd inevitably be toppled over."
Renee Stoos, owner of Red's Pierce Street Pub, said she's also seen increase in the number of discarded cigarette butts outside of her business's door.
"I've seen 'em at the door in front, in back, in our parking lot, on the street, in the curbs," she said. "Everywhere."
But Stoos said she's come up with a novel solution to snuff discarded puffs.
"I had an old planter that I was no longer using," she explained. "Instead of putting another plant inside, I placed sand plus a sign that instructed folks to put out their cigarettes in it."
Has it worked?
"About 50 percent of the time," Stoos noted.
Which is a better result than what Rhonda Capron has had with the six receptacles she's placed around her business, Rhonda's Speak Easy.
"People are using our receptacles to throw everything away," she said with a groan. "Everything, that is, except their cigarette butts.
Capron, who plans on adding a smoking patio next month, said cleaning up butts is difficult at her business.
"Our parking lot is gravel," she explained. "It's impossible to sweep a gravel parking lot."
Capron quickly added discarded cigarettes butts is not just a problem facing bar or restaurant owners.
"You can call any business owner and they'll tell you the smoking ban has brought an increase in litter," she said. "That's because there's an increase of people hanging outside, smoking cigarettes. That, in itself, looks horrible. Plus, it's certainly not doing our environment any favors."
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USA Steve wrote on Sep 11, 2008 8:07 PM:
Bottomline wrote on Sep 11, 2008 1:51 PM:
monica wrote on Sep 9, 2008 8:10 PM:
Sam Jackmans wrote on Sep 9, 2008 2:22 PM:
when you gas up next time. "
I Love to smoke in your face wrote on Sep 8, 2008 10:52 AM: