O’Fallon Smoking Ban Starts Today

While , the city of  takes effect today.

The with 73 percent of the vote in April, banning smoking in most of the city’s bars, restaurants and public places.

The only places where smoking is not regulated are:

• private residences
• private clubs that have no employees
• hotels and motels where no more than 20 percent are designated as smoking rooms some cigar bars and tobacco stores. 

Smokers who violate the terms of the smoking ordinance face fines up to $50. Business owners who fail to comply face up to $500 fines and possible suspension of licenses or permits. The ordinance states that each day a violation occurs is considered a separate violation.

Read More About O’Fallon’s Smoking Ban:

• The created a website including a link to the ordinance and frequently asked questions to help residents and business owners transition to a smoke-free city.
• O’Fallon Patch previously reported on City Administrator Keith Riesberg’s overview on plans to
• In April, the River Front Times reported on Ward 2 Councilman Jim Pepper’s complaints to the IRS that the anti-smoking group Tobacco-Free St. Louis overstepped its bounds as a non-profit organization with contributions to Smoke-Free O’Fallon’s campaign. Pepper also told , the ordinance was too restrictive and he hoped to make changes and bring it into compliance with the Missouri Indoor Clean Air Act. 
• Later that month, Suburban Journals talked with opponents of the ban, who organized a referendum petition, that was later . 
• Before the April election, O’Fallon Patch featured a of residents and bar owners who shared mixed feelings about the ban and the effects it would have on residents' health and business.
• Earlier this week, Suburban Journals columnist Steve Pokin  spoke with some unhappy O'Fallon business owners who have spent thousands of dollars on outdoor patios to accommodate smokers and comply with the ban.
•  STLtoday reported mixed opinions from patrons at the Elks Lodge 2587 last week as the smoking ban effect date drew near.