Kokomo, Ind. Plans to Discuss Revamped Smoking Ban in August

It appears that the Kokomo Common Council will be considering a revised smoking ordinance that could bring big changes to the city at its August 11 meeting, as the topic was the main subject of the council’s meeting this past Monday.

The city’s current smoking ordinance, which was enacted in 2006, has exemptions for tobacco outlets, bars, taverns and fraternal organizations. A statewide smoking ban that came into effect in 2012 prohibits smoking in all public places as well as within eight feet of an entrance to places where smoking is banned. That ordinance also has a set of exemptions for bars, taverns, horse-racing facilities, off-track betting parlors, casinos and riverboats.

The council has appointed a committee to work with council attorney Corbin King on drafting the revised ordinance, and committee chair Bob Hayes said that the council will get its first look at the proposed city-wide smoking ban at the August meeting, according to the Kokomo Tribune.

Another meeting on August 18 will be held to discuss amendments to the current ordinance, and then the proposal will get its first reading on August 25. Should it pass that step, and assuming there are no delays, it will get a second reading on September 8.

Kokomo is located within Howard County in central Indiana. It has a population of around 60,000 people.

Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.