THOUSAND OAKS : Smokers Can Indulge on Restaurant Patios

Seeking a compromise to keep both tobacco fans and no-smoking activists from fuming, Thousand Oaks City Council members have agreed to let diners light up on restaurant patios, as long as their seats are 20 feet from the doorway.

The decision effectively bans smoking from small, sidewalk cafes with just a few outdoor tables clustered around the entrance. But restaurant owners with larger patios can create special smoking sections far from the door.

Anti-smoking activists had urged the council to consider a complete ban on smoking in outdoor restaurant areas. They argued that children might be tempted to try cigarettes after watching adults relax with cigarettes and coffee in open-air cafes.

But Councilman Alex Fiore, a former smoker who quit seven years ago, said a blanket prohibition would be “going just a step too far.” The law barring smoking within 20 feet of any public doorway creates enough hardship, he added.

“In my bridge club, if someone wants to smoke they have to go out the door and walk 20 feet down,” Fiore said. “But then they’re within 20 feet of the next establishment. So they walk another 20 feet, and they’re within 20 feet of the next establishment.

“It’s pretty cruel--we kick them out of the building and then they have to go into the middle of the parking lot or the middle of the street to have a cigarette,” Fiore said. “I wish they didn’t (smoke), but they do, and they shouldn’t be treated as third-class citizens.”

Several council members hinted that they might reconsider a ban on all outdoor restaurant smoking at a future meeting. They also indicated a willingness to discuss regulating smoking in the workplace.

But on Tuesday, all five council members voted for the compromise position.