JEFF GEARINO Southwest Wyoming bureau | Posted: Saturday, December 29, 2007 12:00 am
EVANSTON - Smokers are braving subzero cold, pedestrians are avoiding smokers on sidewalks, and everybody's stepping over butts littering entrances to bars and restaurants in Evanston these days.
But generally, people here are learning to live with the new smoking ordinance that went into effect in September, officials said.
The new law bans smoking in all buildings used by the public, including bars, taverns and private clubs.
"There's just a few courtesy issues that need to be worked out … but so far (residents) haven't made a big deal out of it," said John Porter, Chamber of Commerce president and owner of Porter's Fireworks and Liquor Store.
Evanston in 2007 became the third city in Wyoming to draft and then pass a smoking ban ordinance.
Laramie and Cheyenne have enacted smoking bans in recent years, but a proposed statewide smoking ban didn't get far in the 2007 legislative session.
Evanston council members cited various recent medical studies on the dangers of second-hand smoke while passing the ordinance, which went into effect Sept. 4.
The cities of Rock Springs and Green River in neighboring Sweetwater County followed suit in November and December and also passed smoking ordinances. But those two cities' ordinances included exemptions for bars and clubs.
Evanston Mayor Will Davis said residents are complying with the new law. "I think it seems to be working … (People) are learning to live with it," he said.
"We approached this with maybe a little bit of guarded optimism, and we hope it will stay that way," Davis said. "From what I understand and have heard … sales (at bars and restaurants) have not dropped off overall because of the ordinance."
Porter said he has heard no complaints about the smoking ban from chamber members.
"As far as business goes, nobody has lost any business, and nobody has gained a single advantage over anybody as a result of (the smoking ban)," he said. "The bottom line is we haven't seen any atrophy in business anywhere for anybody, period."
Porter said there have been complaints about the "residual" effects of the ordinance.
"There's been some secondary problems caused by it … people standing in front of entryways and smoking, pedestrians avoiding smokers, and cigarette butts all over the sidewalks instead of in the containers and things like that," he said.
"There's just those little things that need to be dealt with … the courtesy issues, if you will," he said.
Southwest Wyoming bureau reporter Jeff Gearino can be reached at 307-875-5359 or at gearino@tribcsp.com.