County should rescind local smoking ban, defer to state restrictions

Editor:

Columbia County's "total" smoking ban, as it now stands, does a disservice to many local restaurants (especially those which serve alcohol).

However, the hardest-hit establishment is Rack and Grill in Martinez. Its primary goal is to provide a nice place for folks to shoot pool and play darts. Like it or not, pool players tend to smoke.

Richmond County has elected to go along with Georgia's smoking regulations. Smokers who formerly frequented Columbia County businesses such as Rack and Grill now spend their time (and taxable sales dollars) in Richmond County.

Columbia County should rescind its ban. The state's regulations do a perfectly adequate job of protecting us non-smokers (yes, that's me) from smokers.

Bill Harding

Evans