Restaurant owners are putting their support behind a proposed statewide smoking ban . Tom Saxe of Genesee says his fellow restaurant owners want to limit the regulations they face, but he believes the time has come to enact a statewide smoking ban. Saxe says national trends show growing support for such bans.
Saxe is a five-year survivor of throat cancer. He says the illness was among several factors that made him change his mind about keeping smoking out of restaurants and taverns. He also considered the rising cost of health care for employers and expensive equipment to keep the air clean in restaurants where smoking is allowed.
Lawmakers could take up the proposed statewide smoking ban later this spring.