Several state representatives have filed legislation to create uniform, statewide smoke-free standards in bars and restaurants.
House Bill 1766 is sponsored by Reps. Jill Schupp, D-Creve Coeur, and Walk Bivins, R-St. Louis County.
“While other states have taken the lead on improving indoor air quality, Missouri has been among the last holdouts,” Schupp said. “The time has come for uniformity statewide to create a healthy environment in all public places and replace the existing patchwork of local restrictions.”
Because of the lack of a statewide law on smoking in bars and restaurant, restrictions vary widely in Missouri.
While some cities and counties allow smoking in bars and restaurants, a growing number of local governments in recent years have imposed some type of restrictions.
The patchwork of local ordinances, however, has resulted in uneven enforcement and uncertainty as to where smoking is allowed and where it isn’t from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
Pulaski County doesn’t currently have any laws regarding smoking in bars and restaurants, although there have been rumblings during the past year of a possible effort to make the county smoke-free.
