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Community Corner

Speak Up, St. Charles: Should More Restaurants in St. Charles County Go Smoke Free?

After Grappa Grill announced it would go smoke free on Mar. 15, many St. Charles residents say other local establishments should follow the restaurant's lead. Do you agree? Add your voice to the conversation.

When Grappa Grill partner Jack Borgmeyer announced that the restaurant will go smoke free on March 15, the community responded—and most people seemed to feel that it was a great idea. In fact, we were not able to find anyone who was opposed to the ban.

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“Way to go Grappa Grill! St. Charles needs to get with the program and go smoke free,” “The casinos need to realize what a health hazard second hand smoke is to their employees. Obviously money is their main objective.”

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Erin Walsh echoed McRaven’s sentiments with a “Hooray!”

“The tide of consumerism will eventually bend St. Charles in the right direction when it comes to healthier air at restaurants,” Walsh said. “Bravo to Grappa's for being brave enough to take this step even when local leaders are not. I stopped going to Grappa's because of the smoke and am happy to put it back on my list of favorite spots come March 15!”

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St. Charles Patch Facebook fans were equally verbal about their feelings.

“Grappa Grill has earned more of my business,” posted Karl Griffith. “Thank you Jack Borgmeyer.”

Griffith added that the community would be watching to see if Borgmeyer’s move will change the attitude of many St. Charles and St. Peters restaurant owners.

“Some of us drive to O'Fallon or St. Louis County to beat the smoke,” Griffith said.

Erin Shetler said she stopped going to Grappa because of the smoke, but she would now put it back on her list of local favorites.

“Thank you for being brave enough to take this step, even if the city government is not,” Shetler said. “I hope other local restaurants follow suit. If they don’t, more Grappa Grill for me.”

Debbie Jamison said she had also stopped going to Grappa Grill due to the smoke, and she thinks the decision to go smoke-free was right.

Jill Rubin, Marcia Funderburk, Chris Schappe, Robert Dodd, Robin Lockard Buck and Dee Underwood Gerstenkorn  all agreed.

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

One woman, Joyce Cartwright, said she has smoked for 32 years, and that she hopes to quit soon.

“Seeing my mom in a wheelchair with COPD helped me,” Cartwright said. “The whistleblowers working for the tobacco companies who testified how the formulas were manipulated to make them more addictive was what provided the impetus for me to quit.”

She added that there were more non-smokers than smokers these days, and that even people who do still smoke prefer not to be around smoke when they’re eating.

“Nonsmoking areas in a restaurant just don't work,” Cartwright said. “Because, funny thing...that stinky smoke can't seem to figure out how to keep from wafting its way over to the nonsmoking section.”

 “Joyce is right about that smoke not staying in the smoking section,” added Sara Beth.

Debbie Jamison agreed, posting that someone told her husband that “if restaurants with smoking sections make our two asthmatic boys sick, then they shouldn’t go out to eat.”

“I think that’s absurd,” Jamison said. “But we do prefer to patronize 100 percent smoke-free restaurants.”

Do you think more St. Charles County restaurants should go smoke-free? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section, below.

 

 

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