St. Louis suburb bans smoking in restaurants

ARNOLD, Mo. -- Don't plan to light up in a restaurant in this St. Louis suburb.

The Arnold City Council voted last week to make all restaurants smoke-free. Mayor Mark Powell said he will sign the measure.

But several restaurant owners and managers in the Jefferson County town opposed the measure. Some told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the ordinance would mean a drop in business and could force them to relocate or lay off staff.

"It will kill each and every one of us," said Mike Wilson, an Arnold resident who owns J.B. Wilson's Restaurant and Bar. "They're going to take all of this money that's spent in Arnold and give it to South [St. Louis] County."

Arnold joins Springfield, Maryville and other Missouri communities that have passed laws limiting smoking, said Deborah Boldt, director of the Missouri Partnership on Smoking or Health.

Smokers who violate the ordinance can face fines of up to $250.