The village of Weston, near Wausau, is the latest to ban smoking in indoor public places. The Village Board voted unanimously Monday to start the ban in January of 2010. They said it would give businesses time to adjust and would give legislators potential time to pass a statewide public indoor smoking ban.
Board members said it was important to include bars and restaurants in Weston’s ban, even though some other communities exempt those places.
Tavern owners say the ban would kill their businesses, as smokers head to bars in Wausau’s other bedroom communities.
Wausau itself has a smoking ban. A village survey in Weston showed that about two-thirds of residents favored the indoor ban but just over half agreed to exempt bars.
AUDIO: Matt Lehman reports (MP3 :41)
