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Anti-Smoking Effort Targets Verona
Group Sends Out Mailings
UPDATED: 6:18 am CST November 21,
2008
VERONA, Wis. -- A movement is under way to gauge support for a possible smoking ban in Verona.
VIDEO: Watch The ReportReports of some unsolicited phone calls and mailings from the group "Smoke Free Verona" have been circulating around the Madison suburb, asking residents if they want to see more smoke-free establishments in Verona.But as one of the few places in central Dane County where there is no smoking ban, some businesses said they are wondering how much of the movement to go smoke-free is from Verona residents themselves.Draft House owner Mark Franklin said an anti-tobacco insert in the mail recently caught his attention."I don't think it's fair for somebody that's on one side of the street, to have smoking allowed, but yet you may be across the street in another municipality, and not be able to do that," Franklin said.The mailing was from Smoke Free Wisconsin, a group that says a statewide smoking ban isn't the only answer to a growing trend."The Legislature is not the only way to protect people from secondhand smoke, and so we encourage people to take action at a local level, take it on a state level and even on the federal level," said Maureen Busalacchi, of Smoke Free Wisconsin.Anti-tobacco advocates said businesses that have recently gone smoke-free are also reaping benefits."So a lot of the running around saying, 'This is all going to be bad,' is really unfounded," Busalacchi said.But Mary Bursak, owner of The Dry Bean, said her Fitchburg business has seen its share of decline since the city went smoke-free in April."And it's hard because I got hit both with the smoking ban and what's happening to the economy, so you kind of have to take that into consideration," Bursak said.Many business owners said the solution is one that levels the playing field."I would definitely say we felt more of a surge when Fitchburg went smoke-free. I would prefer that there's a statewide ban," Franklin said.The Verona city manager said that there's no movement from city leaders to pursue a smoking ban at this time, WISC-TV reported.
VIDEO: Watch The ReportReports of some unsolicited phone calls and mailings from the group "Smoke Free Verona" have been circulating around the Madison suburb, asking residents if they want to see more smoke-free establishments in Verona.But as one of the few places in central Dane County where there is no smoking ban, some businesses said they are wondering how much of the movement to go smoke-free is from Verona residents themselves.Draft House owner Mark Franklin said an anti-tobacco insert in the mail recently caught his attention."I don't think it's fair for somebody that's on one side of the street, to have smoking allowed, but yet you may be across the street in another municipality, and not be able to do that," Franklin said.The mailing was from Smoke Free Wisconsin, a group that says a statewide smoking ban isn't the only answer to a growing trend."The Legislature is not the only way to protect people from secondhand smoke, and so we encourage people to take action at a local level, take it on a state level and even on the federal level," said Maureen Busalacchi, of Smoke Free Wisconsin.Anti-tobacco advocates said businesses that have recently gone smoke-free are also reaping benefits."So a lot of the running around saying, 'This is all going to be bad,' is really unfounded," Busalacchi said.But Mary Bursak, owner of The Dry Bean, said her Fitchburg business has seen its share of decline since the city went smoke-free in April."And it's hard because I got hit both with the smoking ban and what's happening to the economy, so you kind of have to take that into consideration," Bursak said.Many business owners said the solution is one that levels the playing field."I would definitely say we felt more of a surge when Fitchburg went smoke-free. I would prefer that there's a statewide ban," Franklin said.The Verona city manager said that there's no movement from city leaders to pursue a smoking ban at this time, WISC-TV reported.Copyright 2008 by Channel 3000. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
