Smoking section irks some at Last Fling

Darned if they do, darned if they don’t.

Organizers of the Naperville Jaycees’ Last Fling celebration, which opened Friday night and continues through Monday in downtown, say some residents have been blowing smoke their way regarding one of the fest’s newest sponsors. But Chairman Brad Taylor says the decision to partner with Marlboro cigarettes and host a Marlboro trailer was done to satisfy smokers and nonsmokers alike.

“The only rule we have regarding smoking is you can’t smoke under the tents so people would step outside the tent but smoke goes right back in anyway,” Taylor said. “So we thought we could eliminate that this year by having a designated smoking area. We can’t force the smokers there but we can certainly encourage them to head in that direction.”

Taylor said he’s heard a few complaints about the Marlboro trailer parked near Jackson and Main streets before the Fling even opened but said he hopes everyone is happy with the decision by the end of the weekend.

The Marlboro tent and trailer, combined to form the Marlboro Experience complete with a small patio, will be guarded by security people who will be checking IDs and enforcing the one pack-per-day purchase restrictions.

“Basically if you’d like to smoke, we ask that you support the company who is giving us some sponsorship dollars and go the Marlboro area,” Taylor said. “If smoking’s not your thing, you don’t need to go to that corner.”

City Manager Doug Krieger said he also heard some complaints about the smoking area but said fest sponsorship isn’t the city’s responsibility.

“Our officers will be out and enforcing the statewide smoking laws but that is the extent of it,” Krieger said.