IPCPR Questions Missouri Smoking Ban Proposal

 
Premium Cigar Association Questions Missouri Smoking Ban Proposal

Chris McCalla, the legislative director of the IPCPR, has been doing a great job getting out there and challenging smoking bans at the state level.

Chris has been repeating this message across the country and all of us who enjoy cigars, pipes and yes, cigarettes -can't be a hypocrite now, can I - should be posting these quotes on every comment page related to smoking bans.

"Jobs are lost and businesses suffer as a result of legislated smoking bans, and a statewide ban would further add to Missouri’s labor miseries."

""The Fed has found that, based on impartial data generated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, significant employment declines result from forced smoking bans, especially in bars and restaurants."

"The marketplace is deciding what businesses should allow smoking or not, and that’s the way it should be. Government shouldn't be taking away the rights of business owners to run their enterprises as the market dictates, not big government. There are plenty of restaurants and other businesses that already have declared themselves smoke-free, so there's no need to take away the rights of other business owners by forcing them to ban smoking on their premises."

"For those questioning overstated claims regarding the health aspects of incidental secondhand smoke, I would refer them to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA has set acceptable levels for secondhand smoke up to 25,000 safer than normally found in restaurants and bars."

"We do not represent 'big tobacco.' Our members have every right to sell their legal products to adults and their customers should have every right to enjoy those products on premise and off where permitted by business owners, not by legislated decrees. The legislature should be spending their time creating jobs, not sacrificing them to special interest groups."