Smoking Ban

I am responding to an April 18 Mailbag letter titled, "Smoking ban not much of achievement," written by former Burbank Planning Board Member Dan Humfreville. Humfreville spends much time taking Mayor Todd Campbell and the entire City Council to task under the guise of his disapproval of the smoking ban, which three of the five City Council have thus far supported. His rationale is garbled and hard to make logical sense of. He says some smokers are pigs and a tough act to defend, and then goes onto to do just that.

CITY HALL — Burbank may soon join the ranks of cities like Calabasas and Santa Monica that prohibit smoking in all public places. At the request of several Burbank residents, the council has city staffers researching municipal smoking ordinances that were already passed in other cities. Their findings will be presented at an upcoming meeting, where council members will decide whether to pursue a similar ordinance in Burbank, City Atty. Dennis Barlow said. The push to outlaw smoking in public places stems from a desire to promote a clean and healthy environment in the city, said Burbank resident Eric Michael Cap, who advocated a smoking ban at the Oct. 24 council meeting.

It is with profound disappointment that seven months after the passage of a smoking ordinance (“Smoking ban is approved,” March 31, 2007) I see evidence of frequent and flagrant trespass, by some oblivious to and others deliberate and defiant of a law the city of Burbank took ostensible pride in enacting. It was with rightful credit that Burbank perceived itself to be among the vanguard of a trend evident not just on a national but worldwide scale; proud to be a true leader of progress in a field that is replete with pressing need of exemplary, assertive and courageous guidance.

SMOKING BAN The council will hear a report about a possible ban on smoking in parts of Burbank. The details of an ordinance have not yet been established, but city staffers have compiled information on similar ordinances in other cities. The cities of Calabasas and Santa Monica have already adopted prohibitions on smoking in public places. WHAT TO EXPECT The report gives the council several options for a potential smoking ban. Though the council will not vote on an ordinance on Tuesday, direction will likely be given as to whether an ordinance is appropriate.

Smoking ban is not right for Burbank I read the recent article in the Burbank Leader about banning smoking in some public areas and was shocked that such an agenda would come out of Burbank ("Council likes smoking ban," Jan. 31). I have worked in Burbank for about 26 years and have always found the city to be warm and comfortable, an eclectic mix of studios, business, restaurants and residential homes. I have frequently thought of moving to Burbank and with this latest proposal must re-think that idea.

Ryan Carter CIVIC CENTER -- As he lit a cigarette outside the Burbank courthouse Thursday, Jack Tavares contemplated if there will be another chapter in his struggle with city code enforcers who visit local bars -- including the one he owns -- to catch violators of the state's smoking ban. Burbank Superior Court Commissioner Kirkland Nyby found Tavares guilty that afternoon of violating the state's ban on smoking inside...

By now, even smokers know that cigarettes are toxic, addictive and just plain evil. How far city governments should go in telling people when and where they can smoke is, however, a cloudier issue — a balancing act between freedom of choice and public welfare that now also threatens the privacy rights of Burbank condo and apartment dwellers. A recently adopted extension of the 2007 Secondhand Smoke Ordinance that all but eliminated tobacco use throughout downtown Burbank will, as of May 2011, outlaw smoking on many private patios and balconies.

CITY HALL ? The City Council this week directed officials to draft a set of regulations that would ban smoking in most areas of multiunit residential buildings. The proposal ? supported by residents and special interest groups ? could ban smoking at play areas, swimming pools, and apartment buildings? and condominium complexes? private balconies and patios. Council members voted 3 to 1 Tuesday to craft the language, which was projected in July 2011. Councilman Dave Golonski recused himself because he owns multifamily property in the city.

In Robert Phipps’ letter (“Smoking arguments are absurd, laughable,” June 13) responding to Armineh Hovanesian’s community commentary (“Anti-smoking campaign is just that,” June 6), I think he missed the point. While I believe that Hovanesian’s references to Adolf Hitler and Nazis were a bit of a stretch in making a point with reference to preserving the rights of smokers, I also believe that Phipps was dismissive when he failed to acknowledge the other issues Hovanesian mentioned (presence of nuclear waste, illegal dumping of chemicals into waterways, contaminated food, etc.)

Smoking ban has made a change In the top story on Jan. 10 (“Heart study IDs smoking”), you asked the question, “Have you noticed an improvement in air quality since the city’s smoking ban was introduced?” My answer is a definite “yes.” My wife and I now eat dinner out two or three times more per month because we do not have to wade through clouds of smoke on sidewalks and at restaurant entrances. And the benefits are citywide. Last week, I was standing at the entrance of the Buena Vista Library with about 20 other people waiting for the library to open.

DOWNTOWN — A government study showing that a partial smoking ban had a dramatic effect on reducing heart attacks in a Colorado town may have implications for Glendale and Burbank, where similar ordinances have been passed in recent years, experts said. The study, published Dec. 30 by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, was the first conducted over a period as long as three years and showed a sustained decrease in hospital admissions for heart attacks, said Christine Nevin-Woods, the lead researcher on the study and the director of the Pueblo City-County Health Department in Pueblo, Colo.

DOWNTOWN — Ever since he started smoking, Thomas Kay has enjoyed a cigarette on the patio at this San Fernando Boulevard Starbucks. Now, in the wake of a recent City Council ordinance, if Kay lights up, he will have to pay up. On April 30, the City Council adopted an ordinance banning smoking in various public places. Smoking is no longer allowed within 20 feet of all entrances, exits and open windows of buildings open to the public; all sidewalks and pedestrian areas of Downtown Burbank; outdoor dining areas; and, all lines in public places, such as movie theaters and ATMs, according to Michael Forbes, a Burbank senior planner who helped draft the ordinance.