Dallas (WBAP/KLIF News) – The question of whether public parks in Dallas will allow smoking or not is headed to the City Council. District 14 Councilman Philip Kingston says predictions of economic disaster if smoking were banned haven’t panned out in restaurants and bars.
“We have seen none of the doomsday predictions that bar and restaurant owners made at that time,” said Kingston. “There was no drop-off in business. If anything, what we’ve seen is solely public health benefit.”
But Councilman Lee Kleinman says he doesn’t like it.
“It kind of falls in that realm of nanny laws,” said Kleinman. “Like we just want to impose our values on everybody else. That kind of bothers me as a conservative.”
He also says it would create a lot of extra work for city employees whose job it would be to ticket those caught smoking in parks.
Kingston’s proposal, to ban smoking with no exceptions or carve outs passed on a 4-2 vote.
The full City Council will now take up the motion.
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