South El Monte : Smoking Curb Defeated

The City Council last week rejected strict new no-smoking regulations for restaurants.

The council voted 4 to 1 against an ordinance that would have required all public eating places not exceeding a seating capacity of 50 to be entirely nonsmoking. Restaurants with 51 or more seats would have to declare 50% of seating capacity, including bar areas, as nonsmoking. Mayor Art Olmos was the only one to vote for the measure.

Councilman Jim Kelly said the regulations would hurt restaurant business and the city’s economy. “I myself don’t smoke in restaurants,” Kelly said. “I don’t smoke in Art’s car or in his house. But I do smoke--I am addicted.”