Golden Considers Downtown Smoking Ban Similar To Boulder's
GOLDEN, Colo. (CBS4) - The city of Golden is considering banning outdoor smoking in the heart of its entertainment district.
Some bars and restaurants along Washington Street allow smoking on patios, but some diners have complained the smoke disturbs them.
That's prompted the city to look at a ban on Washington Street from 10th to 14th.
But Bruce Behrens is one customer who disagrees with the ban. "I thought this was the land of the free and the home of the brave," he said.
And some business owners have expressed concerns the ban will chase away customers.
Boulder already has a ban on cigarette smoking on the Pearl Street. It went into effect in January 2013, and many on the mall point out that it's still bustling.
Kenny Lee runs The Buffalo Rose in Golden and compares the fears of lost business to ones expressed years ago when the ban on indoor smoking went into place.
"We were worried and concerned about it," Lee said, "but it didn't hurt our business whatsoever."
Lee even wonders if banning outdoor smoking could generate more customers.
The ban could also extend to electronic cigarettes and vaporizers.
And there's also a discussion about restricting smoking at Golden's parks, trails, public events and backdoor areas of businesses.
