Smoking Ban Breezes Past First Reading

A proposed ban on smoking in retail establishments breezed through its first reading before the Hopkins on Tuesday.

City staff recommended the ban to the council because businesses in other cities have set up smoking lounges using an exemption in the Minnesota Clean Indoor Air Act that permits tobacco stores to allow sampling of their products.

Hopkins isn’t necessarily against smoking lounges, Assistant City Manager Jim Genellie said. But those who want to create one should make their case to the city instead of using a loophole in the law.

A local liquor establishment was the only business to comment on the proposed ordinance, Genellie said. That business worried the city could take steps to ban alcohol sampling if an establishment abused the practice.

Genellie said Hopkins likely couldn’t do that even if it wanted because cities can’t make alcohol ordinances more restrictive than state law as they can with tobacco ordinances.

Council members approved the ordinance unanimously. It still must pass a second reading.