Indiana may join the other 39 states that have some type of statewide smoking ordinance.
House Bill 1149, co-authored by Rep. Eric Turner, R-Cicero, and Rep. Charlie Brown, D-Gary, passed with a 62-34 vote in the House on Tuesday.
The bill includes a few exceptions, though, including gaming facilities, cigar and hookah bars, certain clubs, bars and taverns, tobacco stores and cigar manufacturer facilities.
"I think we've found a nice sweet spot that minimizes the number of exceptions but maximizes the number of workplaces and public places that will be smoke free in our state," Turner said.
The bill has passed in the House for the past five years. Turner said, though, that this year will be different. For one, Gov. Mitch Daniels has included the ban in his legislative agenda.
"That's a real compliment to the effort that we've been making for the last five years," Turner said.
The Indiana Campaign for Smokefree Air released a poll on Jan. 24 that showed that 70 percent of people in Indiana would favor a law that would "prohibit smoking in most indoor public places, including workplaces, public buildings, offices, restaurants and bars."
The Indiana Campaign for Smokefree Air has supported HB 1149 since its introduction.
"It's a positive step," Tim Harms, media contact for the campaign, said. "I think it shows momentum is building for Indiana to have a smoke free law."
Delaware County passed a smoking ordinance on Dec. 24 that prohibits smoking in taverns, bars and fraternal organizations.
Senior music education major Caryn Egan said she is from an area where she will often go out for coffee and smoke. Now, being in Delaware County, she has to choose different restaurants.
Even as a smoker, Egan said she understands why Indiana would try to pass a statewide smoking ordinance despite her dislike of it.
"I definitely get it because I could see as a nonsmoker, even having nonsmoking sections in restaurants, you still smell it," she said. "You're still affected by it."
Lewis Coulter, owner of the Red Dog Saloon and president of the Tavern Owner's Association, said his business has been losing about $2,000 a week because of the Delaware County ordinance.
"We're no different from clubs and casinos, so it's unfair to us to allow them to have smoking and not us," he said regarding HB 1149.
Bobbie Taylor, owner of Sonny Ray's Cafe in Anderson, said most of her customers are smokers. Anderson currently does not have a smoking ordinance.
"I hope the bill would not pass," she said. "I just feel like if a person doesn't want to be around smoke and they know that a bar has smoke in it, they shouldn't come. If they don't want to be around it, they have that choice."
Taylor added that she has had discussions with her customers about the ordinance, and said "everybody is against it."
"I think it would hurt the business because a lot of people, they smoke and they're comfortable here when they're smoking and having their drinks or whatever, watching the game," she said.
Junior Kelsey Ancil said it is hard to find a place to smoke because of the smoking ordinance in Delaware County. She added that she is "very against" HB 1149.
"I think it is a personal choice if you do smoke," the child development major said. "It is legal in the U.S. and everybody knows the harmful effects, so it shouldn't even be an option."
Senior political science major Brodie Cook, on the other hand, said he has not been affected by Delaware County's smoking ordinance and that "it's not really a big deal to have to step outside."
Cook added that he thinks a statewide smoking ordinance would be good for the general population.
"It's kind of an annoyance if you smoke, but it's probably more annoying breathing in secondhand smoke if you don't," he said.
Right now, Indiana is one of 11 states that does not have a statewide smoking ordinance.
"I think across the nation, there's a groundswell of these smoke free laws coming into being," Harms said. "There are other states that do not have smoke free laws so potentially, this would be another push for other states to take a hard look at it and hopefully pass something as well."
Turner said the trend in America right now is to make workplaces smoke free for the workers, not so much for the customers.
"No one should have to choose between providing for their family and their individual health," Turner said. "I don't think any worker should have to work in that environment."
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