Lake County bar owners fuzzy on smoke-free law

Dozens of Lake County bar and restaurant owners got a crash course Wednesday on Illinois' new smoke-free law that goes into effect Jan. 1.

After an hour and a half of listening to county health officials explain the dos and don'ts of the law, several of the nearly 70 restaurant and bar owners were still figuratively scratching their heads.

The Smoke Free Illinois Act does not allow any smoking indoors or within 15 feet of entrances, windows or vents of all public places and workplaces.

That part was clear to the audience. Yet, several bar owners attending Wednesday's forum at Mickey Finn's Brewery in Libertyville were irked the law would go into effect before guidelines were finalized.

"I don't know what we're going to do until we get the rules that they're talking about," said Dan Jeffers, owner of Cottage Tap in Gages Lake, which has an indoor and outdoor bar area. "We are in the dark."

The state law was signed July 23. Monday is the deadline to file public comments with the Illinois Department of Public Health on the proposed rules that include specific regulations on enforcement, signage and outdoor patios and shelters.

"There is a very, very good chance those rules will not be final by Jan. 1, 2008," said Kristine Andersen, the Lake County Health Department's substance abuse program coordinator.

Many area bar owners are considering building outdoor smoking shelters but are unclear about the specifications.

So far, the proposed rules say state smoking shelters cannot be enclosed, and if partially enclosed, they cannot trap tobacco smoke. Such sheds also must be connected to the business.

"It's coming up to Jan. 1 pretty fast, and we don't know what to plan legally to compensate our smoking customers," said Corky Anderson, president of the Tavern Owners Association of Lake County and owner of Corky's Pub in Beach Park.

Anderson said he plans to create an outdoor area with an enclosure and possibly a beer garden for his smoking customers who make up 60 percent to 80 percent of his clientele.

"There are some basic rules on the outside shed but it's not solid enough to go out and build one and have the local village or state come down and say, 'Move it,'" he said.

Health officials tried to ease bar owners' fears about how the law would be enforced.

"There are no smoking police that are going to be watching you, waiting for you to trip up," said Barbara de Nekker, health educator with the health department's Tobacco Free Lake County program. "It's complaint-based."

Enforcement will be done by state and local health departments, and local police and sheriff's departments.

Health officials offered tips on what bar and restaurant owners could do to prepare their businesses, employees and customers for the transition to going smoke-free.

It's not just the businesses, but their customers who will have to change their habits.

"It kills parties," said Demetrios Maravelas, owner of Maravelas Banquets in Fox Lake, adding half the wedding guests at smoke-free parties stand outside smoking. "It's going to be hard for the bride and groom. People are hanging outside more than inside the banquet hall, and nobody's dancing."

A second smoke-free forum for Lake County business leaders will be held from 8 to 10 a.m. Friday at the University Center, 1200 University Center Drive, Grayslake.

For a full text of the Smoke Free Illinois Act, answers to frequently asked questions, and a draft of the proposed rules visit www.idph.state.il.us/tobacco/Smoke_Free_Act_q&a.htm. For more information about smoke-free laws and other resources, visit www.smokefreeillinois.org.