PEOPLE

The Southeast Missourian asked people if they felt West Park Mall should change its smoking policy from the current "designated smoking areas," in the outer courts at Venture, JCPenney and Famous Barr, to a complete smoking ban. Several shopping malls in St. Louis have changed to a smoke-free policy.

Kim Houseman: "I think it should be totally banned. When you have to walk through it in the court, it is an annoyance. I even have had my sons complain about it. We get tired and sit on the bench sometimes, and we have had to move because we couldn't stand it with the smoke."

Sheldon Owen: "I think they should keep it the way it is so the people who smoke would have a place to go. It would bother me if a smoker was sitting next to me, but not a distance away. I used to smoke, so I know what it is to want to smoke."

Michael Brown: "I think people should not have to breathe someone else's smoke. I think that smoking should only be done outside. I would not want to breathe the smoke. It bothers my little daughter too. I think they should ban smoking at the mall."

David Goodman: "I don't think there would be a problem with a smoking section like it is now in the courts. I am a non-smoker, but it doesn't bother me to walk through a smoking section. They should just leave it like it is so people can smoke there if they want."

Jeanette Strickland: "As long as they have a designated smoking area, that is fine with me. I don't want to be around smoking, but I can stay away from a smoking area. I can't see totally cutting them off if they want to smoke."

Marilyn Peters: "I would like to see the mall totally smoke free. Given the ill effects of smoking, a smoke-free environment sends a real good message to people shopping there that they are safe. It is hard to separate a smoking area from a non-smoking area."