One local company could feel the effects of a proposed statewide
ban on smoking.

According to Zippo Manufacturing Co. President and Chief
Executive Officer Greg Booth, the world-renowned lighter company
has been “playing more defense than offense lately” in regards to
measures enacted on both the federal and state levels.

In addition to being confronted with a smoking ban – which would
snuff out lighting up in the state’s bars, restaurants and
workplaces – Zippo has also recently battled to retain the right
for passengers to carry lighters on airplanes. In December 2004,
Congress added lighters to the list of banned items on aircraft.
Since then, passengers have been allowed to carry up to two fueled
Zippo lighters in their checked bags.

“I think we are heading into overregulation,” Booth said. “The
question arises of where should government stop and we begin to
govern and regulate ourselves.”

Booth said the flap over lighters on airplanes hurt the
company’s business.

“It’s been painful, no question. I certainly don’t want to
compromise safety just to sell another lighter. But, nobody has
been able to cite an instance where a lighter caused a problem on
an aircraft.”

In regards to the smoking ban, which was proposed during Gov. Ed
Rendell’s budget address earlier this month, and is part of a
larger and more complex plan to provide affordable health care for
the state’s residents, Booth said “it’s a potential problem.”

“Any additional smoking pressure at all certainly has an effect
on our business,” Booth said. “While I’m not advocating smoking,
any time any government begins to turn the heat up on smoking in
general, there’s the potential for smoking overall to go down.
Along with that, the potential for use of Zippo cigarette lighters
also goes down.”

This is not the first time a proposed ban on smoking has been
tried. The issue was broached by the Senate two years ago, but
ultimately didn’t come to fruition. However, earlier this year, the
Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee approved the Clean
Indoor Air Act, which would expand the list of public places where
smoking is prohibited.

The act would not apply to private residences, private social
functions, tobacco shops and workplaces that produce tobacco
products. Thus far, 22 states have smoking bans, including
neighboring New York state.

Rendell has also proposed a 10 cent per pack hike in the
cigarette tax, from $1.35 to $1.45 per pack. New taxes would also
be levied on other forms of tobacco.

“Let’s zero in on balanced budgets, Social Security and
rebuilding manufacturing in the U.S., as opposed to telling people
where to smoke or not to smoke,” Booth said.

According to state Rep. Kathy Rapp, R-Warren, the smoking ban
legislation will be going before the House Health and Human
Services Committee for examination.

“I have had several businesses that have contacted me in regards
to this,” Rapp said. “I have some grave reservations about putting
another regulation on small businesses at this time.”

Rapp said while she’s all for banning smoking in any building
that is state or federally funded, she has a hard time placing that
regulation on a private business.

“People choose where they want to spend their dollars. If you
don’t like being in a place where there is smoking, there are other
choices available. There’s a lot of places I won’t go in (with
smoking) because I don’t want to put myself in that
environment.”

Both Rapp and state Rep. Martin Causer, R-Turtlepoint, believe
businesses should clearly indicate whether they have smoking or
non-smoking sections.

“In general, I don’t support a total ban on smoking in all
buildings,” Causer said. “I don’t think government should be
telling private businesses what to do. The government intrudes on
people’s lives too much as it is.”

In regards to additional taxes being placed on tobacco products,
Causer said “now is not the time for new taxes. It is time for
fiscal restraint. We have a poor enough business climate in this
state. We can’t afford to enact any more taxes.”

Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, R-Brockway, believes
the proposed ban needs to be debated in full public view.

“Now is the time for openness and transparency and for those in
favor of a ban or against it to get involved in the process. As a
former restaurateur, I can tell you first hand there are
devastating effects in working in a smoke-filled environment.
Sometimes a person doesn’t have the option of picking a place of
employment.”

Scarnati said the smoking ban issue is just one piece of the
overall puzzle when it comes to looking at state health care.

“The governor has put forth some good ideas and initiatives, but
we’ve got to be prudent and can’t bankrupt the taxpayers in
providing those services.”

According to a survey done earlier this month by Quinnipiac
University in Connecticut, the public favors a smoking ban by 60
percent to 37 percent.

The Pennsylvania Tavern Association cautioned that if the ban is
enacted, it could seriously cripple small mom-and-pop
establishments.

“Taverns are one of the last places people can go to smoke a
cigarette and talk with their friends,” the association’s treasurer
Louise Stettler said in an article appearing on The Smokers Club
Inc., Web site. “Take that away and business is going to
suffer.”