Town & Country Alderman to Propose County-Wide Smoking Ban

Bill Kuehling

Town & Country Alderman William Kuehling plans to introduce a resolution tonight asking that the St. Louis County Council pass a county-wide smoking ban.

Kuehling says that seven of eight Town & Country aldermen have indicated that they'll support the resolution.

But what impact -- if any -- the Town & Country resolution will have on St. Louis County officials remains to be seen. Town & Country is but one of 91 municipalities that make up St. Louis County. To date, just one of those communities -- Ballwin -- has instituted a smoking ban.

The St. Louis County Council last considered a county-wide smoking ban in 2005. That measure failed thanks in part to the stern opposition from St. Louis County Executive (and smoker) Charlie Dooley.

Kuehling, a former St. Louis City resident who served as a city counselor and public safety director under former mayor Vincent Shoemehl, is now an outgoing alderman in Town & Country. Kuehling, who did not run for re-election, says he waited until his last meeting as an alderman to introduce the resolution because he "didn't want to risk its consideration being somehow tied into the local election."