Fifth: "Statewide Smoking Ban Likely"

"A statewide ban on smoking in bars and restaurants is likely to win approval from the Maryland General Assembly this year, legislative leaders say, as the number of counties that have adopted local versions of the proposad law comtinues to grow.

It's something that's destined to pass," House Speaker Michael Busche said.

Senate Presidnet Thomas Mike Miller also said ther is " a good chance is't going to pass this year." He added, It's certainly gor a lot of support in my own fanily, from my wife and my children."

" A Stateside van has failed for four consecutive sessions, and it still faces fierce opposition, notably from the Restaurant Association os Maryland and other industry groups. But the idea is gaining momentym as more local jurisdictions enact bans of their own."
"The ban's proponents say they have veen embolened by the U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona's report last year on the dangers of secondhand smoke. Carmona said the evidence is now "indisputible: that is a public health hazard. Also last year, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health releaseda study estimationg the costs of secondhand smoke in Maryand at nearly $600 million a year in doctor bills and lost wages."
" Sen. Thomas M. Middleton, a Democrat who represents a former tobacco county in Southern Maryland, said he doesn't preceive "a real strong sense of urgency" to pass a statewide ban because of moves to pass local bans. As chairman of the Finance Committee where the ban has been considered, Middleton said he might wait to see what happens in the House, where a committee voted it down last year, before talking any action."

Lobbyists from the restaurant association and the Baltimore Licensed Beverage Association both state that the ban will kill small business. Restaurant and bar owners will be hurt by this ban because " People come in and they want to have a drink and a smoke. It's all about choice. Individual proprietors can say they want to be somke-free, but a blanket statewide law would certainly hurt small businesses," Frank D, Boston III, a lobbyist for the Baltimore Licensed Beverage Association said.

1. Why do some senators think the ban will pass this year, when it has failed in the previous years?
2. If the ban is passed, will the bar's business remain steady?


Smitherman, Laura and Green, Andrew. "Statewide Smoking Ban Likely." Baltimore Sun: 1A