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Decatur smoking ordinance under review

By Bobby Shuttleworth - bio | email

DECATUR, AL (WAFF) - Decatur's current smoking ordinance went into effect about two years ago. Now one councilman is looking to loosen some of those restrictions.

Micky Brown is not happy that he must go outside at Tony's to smoke. He said Decatur's smoking ordinance is unjust.

"I think if you get out here and go to all the trouble and expense of making a business, you ought to have the right to do what you want to with it," he said.

"The smoking ordinance has been in effect for two years now October first, and it's hurt our business 65% to 70%, losing our smokers," Tony's co-owner, Felicia Moody, agrees.

City councilman Gary Hammon said he will bring up the matter during Monday's 10:00AM council meeting. 

Hammon wants to bring Decatur's law up to speed with Huntsville, Madison and Florence.

He said there are instances now unfair to businesses.

"Technically, in that law, it doesn't matter if there are two people working at a business, there is no smoking allowed. That's not the way I understand free enterprise," he said.

Hammon said small individual restaurants and bars are hurting financially because of the stringency of the law.

He said people who want it to stay the same are contacting him.

"Naturally I'm getting e-mails saying I'm doing it for myself," Hammon said.

Hammon, although a smoker, disputes that allegation.

There are people who want the city law to stay as it is.

"I think that the ordinance we have now is great. It helps the people that are working there. It helps the minors. I just think it's great and I don't think they ought to mess with it," said non-smoker Bob Bell.

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