Could South Dakota be next?

Anti-smoking forces hope so.

They plan to push a bill in the 2008 Legislature that would add South Dakota to the list of states that make it illegal to smoke in businesses serving alcoholic beverages.

"I think it's safe to say we'll be bringing forward legislation that would prohibit smoking in restaurants and bars," said Jennifer Stalley of the South Dakota Tobacco-Free Kids Network. She also is director of government relations for the state chapter of the American Cancer Society.

An effort in the 2007 Legislature to extend the smoking ban to include bars and restaurants that serve alcohol failed. Currently, the state law governs smoking only in businesses, public places and restaurants that don't serve alcohol.

Bar owners are mixed on the issue. Some fear a ban would cause them to lose business, while others say they would welcome the change.

In Rapid City, a number of establishments have voluntarily gone smoke-free in recent years. Firehouse Brewing stopped allowing smokers in late 2006. Dublin Square on Main Street opened in January 2006 as a non-smoking bar. And the new downtown eatery, Thirsty's, opened this summer also as smoke-free.

But smoking is still allowed at many drinking establishments in the Rapid City area. Amber Grabow of Joe's Bar on South Highway 79, which allows smoking, said it is not a big issue at Joe's.

"Everybody here is pretty casual; people who do smoke keep it to themselves, and nobody complains," she said.

Asked whether a statewide smoking ban would hurt business, she said, "I think it might. People who go out want to smoke when they're here."

The South Dakota Retailers Association opposes an extension of the ban.

"We're really talking about social engineering," said Shawn Lyons, SDRA executive director. He said business owners "should be making these choices on their own without having to dictate it into statute."

In 2002, then-Gov. Bill Janklow signed a law banning smoking in non-hospitality workplaces. Since that time, tobacco opponents have been trying to strengthen the statute.

Each year it's introduced, the ban has met legislative resistance as business owners and others oppose government intrusion into places where people can smoke indoors.

So far, 22 states have passed comprehensive indoor smoking bans.  

Quick poll: Do you think South Dakota should ban smoking in bars and restaurants? Vote on rapidcityjournal.com

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