Smoking Ban Motivates Smokers to Quit

By Katie Wiedemann, Reporter

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By Katie Wiedemann

Story Created: Jul 1, 2008 at 4:46 PM CST

Story Updated: Jul 1, 2008 at 5:52 PM CST

DUBUQUE - Iowa's controversial state-wide smoking ban is in full effect. The ban prohibits smoking in most public places. Legislatures say the idea is to make Iowa's workplaces safer for employees.

The ban is motivating employees at one Dubuque restaurant to quit smoking.

Day in, day out Carissa Fetgatter dishes out meals at Chuck and Jo's Restaurant.

If she has the time, she usually follows each order with a quick smoke break.

Fetgatter said, "us waitresses are really busy so you actually have to find time to take a step outside. You don't get that very often so I'll actually go from like a pack and a half per day to probably a half pack per day."

She hopes it’s a step in the right direction. Owners say every employee here is also a smoker. Their hoping if one of them can quit smoking, they all can.

Connie Jo Smith said, "now that they have the smoking ban and they can't smoke in here, every single one of them has said something about trying to quit."

That seems to be working out to everyone's advantage.

Smith said, "You can tell there is now smoke in here and everyone seems happier."

Happier and hopefully healthier. Even though this seems to be the hardest part.

Fetgatter said, "I would like to quit, I've been talking about it"

Until the day she quits for good, Fetgatter says she will spend her down-time looking for more productive things to do.

According to Dubuque's Anti-Tobacco Coalition, all Dubuque schools, colleges and universities have agreed to make their campuses tobacco-free.

For many of those schools that rule took effect Tuesday.

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