Lawrence follows Indy's lead and goes smoke-free, including bars

Patrons lit up at Lawrence bars last night for the last time. The town's nonsmoking ordinance goes into effect Monday, prohibiting smoking in bars, hotel rooms, family-owned and -operated businesses, rooms in nursing homes and long-term care facilities, company-owned vehicles and bowling alleys. Private clubs are still exempt. Lawrence joins Indianapolis, which passed a similar ordinance in June. But Mayor Dean Jessup said he already has started to see businesses adapt to the ban, with positive results.

"In every instance so far, everyone I've talked to, their business has increased," Jessup said. "So I'm very happy with that. I believe it's going to make us a healthier city." The Lawrence Council approved the ban in July in a 5-3 vote, after it had been tabled a month earlier. Smoke Free Indy, an organization that supports the ban, is holding a Happy Hour event from 6-8 p.m. today at Lord Ashley's Pub in Lawrence to mark the ordinance.

"This is an important step in protecting the health of workers and consumers," Lindsay Grace, chairwoman of Smoke Free Indy, said in a news release. "Eliminating secondhand smoke is one of the most important things we can do to reduce risk factors for countless health threats. More than 70 percent of voters in Marion County, including Lawrence, recognize that fact and favor smoke-free laws that include bars and restaurants." Earlier this year, Lawrence City Councilman David Parnell said he would introduce the smoking ordinance, as soon as he found out that Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard had signed the bill in Indianapolis.

The City-County Council voted 20-9 in April in favor of a ban, which went into effect June 1. Last month, Beech Grove's City Council rejected an ordinance that would have banned smoking at bars,after four bar owners in the Southside community told the council that the ban would hurt their business. A statewide law already bans smoking in most other types of businesses.