Beverly Hills May Ban Smoking in City Facilities

The Beverly Hills City Council this week introduced an ordinance that would ban smoking in all city-owned buildings.

Meanwhile, the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce is completing a study to determine whether a ban should be extended to the private workplace.

The City Council last year passed an ordinance banning smoking in large restaurants. But after a nearly yearlong battle between the city and restaurant owners who complained that the ban was hurting business, the city watered down its ordinance to allow restaurants to create separate smoking and non-smoking sections.

The proposed smoking ban in city buildings apparently has no opponents. None of the city’s three major employee unions are fighting the measure.

Fire Capt. Arthur Davis, president of the Beverly Hills Firemen’s Assn., which represents the city’s 80 firefighters, said his group does not oppose the proposed ordinance.

“In the old days, just about everybody smoked, but now only a handful smoke,” Davis said.

Under the proposed ordinance--which is scheduled for a second vote on Sept. 6, and if approved would take effect 30 days later--smoking would not be allowed in any city-owned buildings, including park facilities and structures on Foothill Road that are temporarily housing city departments.

The ordinance would allow the city manager to establish a smoking section in some buildings if needed.

Michael Sims, executive vice president of the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce, said a ban on smoking in the workplace could be a logical next step.

Sims said his group hopes to make a recommendation to the council by early September.

“We would propose something that is workable,” Sims said. “We don’t want to get into the same situation that we did with the ban on smoking in restaurants.”

Sims said about 117 cities statewide, including Los Angeles and Santa Monica, have ordinances that impose some restrictions on smoking in private workplaces.

“We’re checking with other chambers to see how their ordinances are working,” he said.