NEWPORT BEACH : Smoking Foes Won’t Let Rules Issue Die

Even though the City Council recently dismissed a resident’s proposal to toughen up the city’s anti-smoking rules, a community group is forming to bring the issue before the council once again.

Pointing to health statistics about the effects of second-hand smoke, the group is circulating petitions to win support for harsher smoking regulations that would make restaurants and office buildings nearly smoke-free.

“Basically, we want to tell the city this issue is not dead,” said Kimberly Ditzler, a city resident who spearheaded the no-smoking drive last month.

Last month, the City Council informally agreed that the city’s current ordinance was solid and that the issue should be left to individual businesses.

But Ditzler hopes to begin circulating petitions and writing letters to encourage the city to reconsider suggestions to toughen up its existing ordinance. Already a core group of residents has formed to begin the drive.

Business leaders have opposed stricter rules for restaurants and shops, arguing that increased regulation could hurt business.

“I’m just concerned about the government dictating these social mores,” said Richard Luehrs, president of the Newport Harbor Area Chamber of Commerce. He said he believes in a free-market approach to the issue, which assumes that businesses will adjust to the wishes of their patrons.

The city’s current regulations require that restaurants with more than 50 seats set aside 25% of their tables for nonsmokers. Those supporting increased regulation want the percentage increased to better represent the number of nonsmokers, which they estimate is about 80% of Orange County residents. They say they would be satisfied if at least half the tables were set aside for nonsmokers.

Further, they want the city to regulate workplaces and require common work areas, such as lunch rooms and hallways, to be no-smoking zones.