PLATFORM : Expand, Not Ban

Based on the EPA report on secondhand smoke, we’ve decided to expand our nonsmoking areas.

I would love to have a nonsmoking mall, but at this point I feel it’s not fair to certain customers to do something like that. So we’ll continue to keep an eye on things and expand the areas, particularly where we find small children. But we’re going to try to take it one step at a time.

Having more nonsmoking areas is going to be a trend for any place that the public comes to. It started with the restaurants because that’s obviously the most important area, and I think it will be that way with office buildings and I think it will be that way for malls, too.

I was a smoker many years ago and I know it takes a lot to quit smoking but I firmly believe in nonsmoking areas. We’ll work with people. I’m not going to go throw water on their cigarettes.

I’m trying to make it comfortable for everybody. I’m not taking smoking areas away. I’m just expanding the area for nonsmoking.