Group pitches smoking ban in Poplar Bluff

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A group that says it has hundreds of supporters is pushing for an indoor smoking ban in Poplar Bluff.

A proposed smoke-free ordinance was presented to the Poplar Bluff City Council on Monday night by the Breathe Easy Coalition.

About 30 children and adults wearing blue shirts with the words "Smoke-Free Indoor Air Saves Lives" attended the meeting.

"The coalition has 800 individual supporters and 38 business supporters," said Aaron Darnell, a spokesman for the coalition. He said 24 cities in Missouri have adopted a smoke-free ordinance.

Dr. Stanley Ziomek and Dr. Rick McGath urged the council to adopt the ordinance.

"I operate on a lot of patients who suffer from smoking. My specialty is directed toward the ravages of smoking," said Ziomek, who performs bypass surgeries at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center.

He also said most lung cancer surgeries are due to smoking.

"We need to stop this problem for future generations," Ziomek said.

McGath said he was frequently in the hospital with pneumonia during the first eight years of his life because "my parents smoked."

"Dad and mom quit smoking, and I was never in the hospital again," McGath said.

He also said he has children in his office every day with sinus infections due to secondhand smoke and people with asthma have asthma attacks due to secondhand smoke.

"We are endangering our children and employees who have to work in that environment" where smoking is allowed, McGath said.

He realizes it will "not be an easy issue" for the council members, but he urged them "to be aggressive and be at the forefront of health in our community."

Rhonda Burdin expressed concern about her grandson who can't be around smoke because of his health problem.

"We can't go out. Someone has to stay home with him," said Burdin, who works in an emergency room.

Felicity Brady, a breast cancer survivor, said the chief radiation oncologist at Harvard University told her to "stay away from smoke because it would increase the chance of getting cancer in my lungs."

"I have to be careful of the restaurants and stores I go to in Poplar Bluff," Brady said.

Jim Schultz said he has breathing problems due to "smoking three packs a day for 30 years" before he quit smoking.

Mayor Ed DeGaris said the council will take the proposed smoke-free ordinance under advisement.

Pertinent address:

Poplar Bluff, MO