More businesses voluntarily becoming nonsmoking

Across the nation, states and municipalities have taken the step of requiring businesses to ban smoking in their establishments.

Cape Girardeau does not have a prohibition on smoking; voters narrowly defeated a measure in 2011 that would have banned smoking in all public establishments, including privately owned bars and restaurants.

Proponents of the measure said some health issues are important enough to require government intervention to protect the public and employees.

Those against the measure argued that business owners should have the choice to make that decision for themselves. More and more, local businesses have made the decision to go smoke-free. Some new businesses, such as Coin-Op Cantina, Minglewood Brewery and Paddlewheel Pizza, opted to open with a nonsmoking policy in place. Others, such as Broussard's and Ragsdale's, made the decision to go smoke-free as part of a renovation. Still others have banned smoking as part of a larger, corporate strategy.

Some businesses are hesitant to take the step, fearing it will alienate loyal customers more than draw in new ones, even though many who have made the switch say they've gotten an overall positive response. Indeed, some people do show their support with their pocketbooks: 72 percent of voters in a recent informal poll at semissourian.com said a restaurant's smoking policy affects where they choose to eat.

Tobacco products, which are legal, and secondhand smoke are known to pose serious health risks, from cardiovascular disease to cancer. While it is important to respect a business owner's right to make their own decisions, we applaud those who have taken the step to voluntarily adopt no-smoking policies and encourage smokers to reap the health benefits of quitting.