Smoking Ban in St. Louis County: What Kinds of Businesses Should Be Exempt?
Raise the food limit to 49 percent
Right now, businesses in which food sales are less than 25 percent of total sales are allowed to permit smoking, but some argue that this is very arbitrary and unfairly excludes businesses in which food is still a small portion of revenue. David Kuneman with the Citizens' Freedom Alliance -- who sent us a helpful breakdown -- says that bars that have food sales up to 49 percent likely still rely largely on alcohol sales. 
Courtesy of Carol Fallert Carol Fallert, owner of The Brew House in Maryland Heights, opposes a stricter ban.
Hardship waivers
If the owner can prove, through business tax returns, that revenue fell more than 15 percent as a result of a smoking ban, then they should be given an exemption.
We spoke last week with one small business that predicted a serious drop in sales if a ban were imposed.
Allow e-cigarettes anywhere
This is a simple policy change that would require eliminating e-cigarettes, or electronic cigarettes, from the county's definition of "smoking," thus allowing these in any establishment. 
via e-cigarette
Continue for more of smoking ban proposals.
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