Read Alderman Triplett’s recent letter to the St. Louis Post – Dispatch, supporting legislation, introduced by Ald. Lyda Krewson, banning smoking in public places.

St. Louis is ready to be smoke-free

St. Louis is positioned to take a giant step forward in addressing the health and safety of every resident. A bill to ban smoking in public places like bars, restaurants and casinos is being considered by the St. Louis Board of Aldermen. If St. Louis city and county both enact such a law, our region will join many others (including nearby cities such as Ballwin and Columbia, Mo.) as smoke-free.

The U.S. surgeon general’s office concluded that secondhand smoke causes heart disease, emphysema and cancer in non-smokers through exposure to the same deadly carcinogens as smokers.
Creating a smoke-free city is a public health issue that city leaders cannot take lightly or ignore. Our citizens have the right to breathe clean and healthy air. Whether one is a patron at a restaurant, an employee working a minimum-wage service job or a mother protecting her family’s health, this is a basic right to which we all are entitled.

Promoting a smoke-free environment is not infringing on personal rights; it’s ensuring everyone can breathe clean air.

Critics point to anecdotes and inaccurate data to suggest a smoking ban would have a negative impact on businesses. This is untrue. Every independent economic study demonstrates the opposite. More often than not, smoke-free bars and restaurants benefit from increased sales and patronage.

Becoming smoke-free is an opportunity for St. Louis to gain a competitive edge. By promoting itself as forward-thinking and progressive, our city will attract employers, large companies and national conventions that only do business in cities that promote public health and clean air. By becoming smoke-free, St. Louis will reinvent itself and refocus on our most important concern: the health and welfare of its citizens.

Kacie Starr Triplett — St. Louis
Alderwoman, Sixth Ward