Florence City Council proposed to ban smoking in public places, and it hope that on November 9th it proposal will be approved. The new legislation would prohibit smoking in places like restaurants, bars, educational and health care facilities, common areas of apartment buildings as well as many other public places.

While the new law may face contradictory from some smokers, the ordinance is getting popularity from many local residents. Florence resident Jennifer Peebles said: "I don’t like to decide what other people do, but we have been out west to California and Phoenix in the past year and it’s banned everywhere out there and there’s a difference, and it is nice not to have to worry about that in public if you don’t have to."

Even some restaurant managers said that they support the proposal however they reported that they will continue to try and supply everyone.

One of the restaurant managers explained: "I think it’s a good thing because we definitely aim to please all of our clients and I think as long as someone can step outside and smoke a cigarette, and then we’ll kind of keep everyone." But some of smokers said that the new measure would restrict their freedom, while others said that the new ordinance would simply urged the freedom of others who choose not to smoke.

A former smoker explained: "I just didn’t realize, but now I can see where everybody would be displeased by it, because I get around them now and I don’t really care to sit there."

Council members said that smoking bans have worked in other areas across the state and across the country, and many of them believe the ban could work just as well in the city.

For example twenty-eight other cities in South Carolina have passed similar smoke-free ordinances. "I think that the evidence that smoking is dangerous to health will be destroyed only with smoking ban help. It causes cancer and other health irregularities and it’s appropriate to ban it in public places where the public doesn’t have any choice. I also have a particular concern for workers in restaurants and bars who are forced to be exposed to smoking against their will, as well," Jennifer Peebles added.

Among others, the proposed ordinance also would prohibit smoking in such enclosed public areas as galleries, libraries, museums, bars, bingo facilities, elevators, convention facilities, conference centers, exhibition halls, educational facilities (public and private), health care facilities, hotel and motel lobbies, licensed childcare and adult daycare facilities, and polling places.

In addition, smoking would be prohibited in public transportation facilities, including buses and taxicabs and ticket, boarding and waiting areas of public transit depots, retail stores, service lines, shopping malls sports arenas and rooms, chambers, places of meeting or public assembly, including school buildings.

Scientists concluded that the new anti-smoking ordinance includes certain outdoor areas when the use involves a gathering of the public, regardless of the number actually assembled for the event, performance or competition, as well.