FIGHT BACK AGAINST "TOTAL BAN ON SMOKING IN BARS" ONLINE PETITION Every petition submitted will help! (your signature will be attached to the letter below) All information collected through this website will be kept confidential and not sold or shared. Read our statement below, then enter your information and hit the submit button. Dear Mayor Daley and Aldermen of the City of Chicago: As a concerned citizen, I must voice my objections to the proposed ordinance to outlaw smoking in restaurants and taverns in Chicago.The proposed smoking ban undermines Chicago's economy, our image and our personal freedoms, whereas non-smokers always have a choice. I believe this law will create economic hardship for many average Chicagoans who feed their families by working in the hospitality industry, bars, restaurants and hotels, or in any business depending on out-of-town visitors. Clearly, smokers will spend less time and money in restaurants and bars if they do not have the freedom to have a cigarette. In today's economy, even a small drop in business will place many Chicago businesses and hard-working employees in dire straits. Very few people in the world share the view of the anti-smoking forces in the USA. Outlawing smoking in Chicago's restaurants and taverns would send a very unwelcoming message to Chicago's visitors from around the world who support our economy. Most importantly, this proposed ordinance is an improper intrusion by the government in the operations of small business and the personal lives of citizens. Bars and restaurants are not hospitals or government buildings. People can choose to patronize them or not. No one is forced into a smoking environment. Customers have the freedom to patronize smoking or non-smoking businesses. Let the free market and consumer demand be the judge, not government regulation. There are many other ways to provide a comfortable environment for non-smokers without taking away people's personal freedoms, including no-smoking sections and the latest in air cleaning technology that many bars and restaurants are installing now. Safety and personal freedom need to be balanced fairly. If you banned everything that posed a potential health risk there would be no cars, hamburgers, alcoholic beverages, cell phones and everyone would be required by law to stay out of the sun. Thank you for considering the opinions of the many citizens who oppose this unnecessary and unfair anti-smoking ordinance. Sincerely, Name Email Street Address Zip Code What do YOU think?