Yesterday’s KMOV-TV Channel 4 News at 6 pm included a story about Kirkwood and its smoke-free air ordinance, due to go into effect today, January 2, 2010. It focused on PJ’s Tavern, 123 West Jefferson in Kirkwood, normally a pretty smoky place. How was it going to adapt and what did customers and staff think?
The video report and following story is posted on the KMOV website. Please paste the following into your browser to view:
http://www.kmov.com/news/local/Kirkwood-smoking-ban-in-effect-Saturday-80482857.html
Below are some screen shots followed by the on-line story:
Reporter Ray Preston: “The lunchtime crowd may be split 50:50 between smokers and nonsmokers. At night, she says perhaps three-quarters of the customers sitting at the bar light up.”
Bartender Sarah Tepper: “We’ve been getting a mixed reaction. Some are very happy that it’s finally banned and others are not so happy.”

Marc & Marcy Hartstein and friend Maryann Kestenbaum, now living in San Antonio, TX, enjoying some free secondhand smoke this last day before PJ's goes smoke-free!
By Brendan Marks, KMOV
Posted on January 1, 2010 at 5:50 PM
Updated yesterday at 6:07 PM
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Kirkwood puts a ban on it in public places
Smoking Ban Takes Effect in Kirkwood
KMOV – There’s one day left until a smoking ban in Kirkwood goes into effect.
Kirkwood residents passed the smoking ban in November with about 70 percent of the vote.
One man in Kirkwood said he was going out Friday to grab a meal and have one last cigarette. Critics of the ban said they think the ban will drive customers to other communities that still allow smoking.
The county-wide smoking ban will go into effect January 2011.