August 1 will be a great day to celebrate freedom in Campustown and throughout the Ames community. That’s the day the city-wide smoke-free dining ordinance goes into effect.

This new Ames ordinance was written to protect the health of everyone in public places. It resulted from a discussion and compromise between advocates for the ban and bar and restaurant owners. Effective August 1, there will be smoke-free dining mandated in restaurants and bars from 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. After 8:30 p.m., covered businesses can establish a smoking section, however, no child under age 18 may be seated in a restaurant smoking section.

Smoking is banned within 15 feet of entrances and exits, in outdoor seating areas if food is served, in bowling alleys until 6 p.m. on most days and until 3 p.m. on Thursdays, and in hotel and motel lobbies and common areas. Bars where food accounts for less than 10 percent of total sales are exempt from the ban.

Persons smoking illegally between 6 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. will be subject to a fine of $25.

Businesses that fail to designate a smoking section for the time when smoking is allowed or who seat children under the age of 18 in their smoking section after 8:30 p.m. are subject to a fine of $500 for a first violation and $750 for each additional violation.

The Ames Tobacco Task Force (which consists of 25 volunteer citizens and other agency and institutional representatives) has been working for three years to promote smoke-free dining in Ames.

It is the consensus of the group that in order for the new ordinance to succeed, the public must be aware of how the ordinance works and owners, managers and wait staff of restaurants and bars need to be ready to enforce it. Information about the ordinance will be published on the City of Ames Web site ( www.ames.ia.us).

If you see someone smoke illegally, ask the wait staff to inform the person of the ordinance and ask them to extinguish their tobacco product.

If the wait staff doesn’t follow up on your complaint, then you should seek a manager and ask them to handle it. If this fails, you should call the Ames Police Department (239-5133) to report the violation and that management failed to take care of it. You might also want to file a complaint with the Ames Police Department and with the restaurant.

Smoke-free dining will work for all of us through education, cooperation and self-enforcement. Information will be shared at a news conference/rally Wednesday, July 25 at 1:30 p.m. at Ames City Hall, 515 Clark Ave. Special guest speakers at the event include: Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller, Iowa Cubs owner Michael Gartner and state Senator Johnie Hammond.

George Belitsos

Co-Chair

Ames Tobacco Task Force