Springfield's health board prods city to reconsider smoking ban
02/07/00
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) City health officials are pushing city councilors to reconsider a ban on smoking in restaurants.
Public awareness of the dangers of second-hand smoke has increased since city councilors rejected a similar measure in 1994, following nearly a year of debate, said Health Director Helen Caulton-Harris.
Still, Mayor Michael Albano warned, the proposed ban ''faces an uphill battle.''
City Councilor Daniel Kelly, who chairs the council's Public Health and Safety Committee, said he would make sure the issue gets a full airing at public hearings.
However, he said, he remains convinced that the proposed ban is ''an unnecessary intrusion by government.''
Cigarettes
