Augusta commissioners voted to amend the city’s smoking ordinance Tuesday to make it possible for cigar bars to operate, but failed to approve two companion items needed to complete the approval process.
On a 6-4 vote commissioners approved amending the smoking ordinance so that cigar bars become eligible for an indoor air certificate of exemption with Commissioners Jordan Johnson, Dennis Williams, Catherine McKnight, Bobby Williams, Ben Hasan and Francine Scott voting yes. Voting no were Commissioners Alvin Mason, Sean Frantom, Brandon Garrett and John Clarke.
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Clarke’s substitute motion to deny the exemption later failed on a 6-3-1 vote with Frantom, Garrett and Clarke voting for it and Dennis Williams abstaining.
Motions to amend the city alcohol license to include a definition for a cigar bar and to set an administrative and regulatory fee structure both failed on 5-4 votes with Johnson, Dennis Williams, McKnight, Bobby Williams and Ben Hasan voting yes. Mason, Frantom, Garrett and Clarke voted no. Scott was out of the meeting at the time.
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To complete the process to provide for cigar bars to operate, commissioners would have to approve the two failed agenda items at another meeting.
The proposed changes to the smoking and alcohol ordinances brought out some heavy hitters from the medical community who condemned the changes in the strongest terms as well as Hephzibah businessman Dwayne Pearson who wants to open a cigar bar.
“First of all, I know a lot of these people are going to blow you away with all these statistical facts about the danger of smoking and what we’ve known for years it will do to you healthwise,” Pearson said. “One of the issues I want to bring up to you is, we’re looking for a cigar smoking specific venue. We’re not asking you to change and make this city a smoking city again. That’s not what we’re looking for.”
Pearson said he has a “business-oriented” structure that is 95 percent complete, and he’s only waiting for the city to approve the ordinance changes.
“Once we get into a cigar lounge, we go into that establishment knowing that it is a smoking establishment,” he said. “We’re not bringing kids in there. It’s a smoking-specific business. If you look around the state, tri-state area, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, and even if you break that down to the counties, why is Augusta being handcuffed and not allowing businesses such as myself to thrive and grow?”
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Speaking against amending the smoking ordinance, Dr. Richard Lee said he appreciated Pearson’s perspective, but as head of cardiac thoracic surgery at Augusta University, he’d like to share his perspective.
“My job every day is to save people’s lives,” Dr. Lee said. “And the lives I save are from people who have heart disease and lung disease. And I have to challenge you right now. I’ve gotten a certificate for service for 20 years of doing just that. And in one single moment, you guys can do more than I’ve done for the people of Augusta, than I’ve done for my whole career. And all you’ve got to do is not change the law. Just not change it. And I want to support that with just one number. One in four, 25 percent. And that’s all you need in terms of statistics.
“What do you need to know that those numbers stand for? Number 1. What’s the number one cause of death in this country? Cardiovascular disease. How many of us is it going to kill? One in four. One, two, three. That’s mortality.
“What’s the number one fatal cancer of all the cancers combined? Lung cancer. How many of our loved ones die of lung cancer of all cancers? One in four. That’s it. That’s not pretty complicated math. And what is the number one cause of both those problems? Smoking. It doesn’t matter if it’s cigar or cigarette smoke.”
Lee said hospitals have been overrun with COVID-19, and unvaccinated people are taking resources from people who were vaccinated and hospitals are canceling surgeries every day.
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During Tuesday’s discussion, the newly sworn-in District 4 Commissioner Alvin Mason asked whether there was a difference between cigar smoke and cigarette smoke, but nobody seemed to know for sure until Dr. Martha Tingen came to the podium.
“First of all, congratulations on being appointed today,” said Dr. Tingen, an associate director at the Georgia Cancer Center at MCG, as well as being over tobacco control there. “And it was meant that you asked that question, so it was all good timing.
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“I want you to know that one single large cigar has as much tobacco and toxic products as an entire pack of cigarettes. So, the answer to your question is it’s not any difference. It’s worse.”
When commissioners passed a no smoking ordinance, they took an important step to safeguard the health of the service industry, the city and visitors, she said.
“To allow a cigar bar exemption now assaults – and ‘assaults’ is a strong word, but I sincerely mean it- our community’s health, and is a step backwards.”
Sylvia Cooper is a Correspondent with The Augusta Press. Reach her at sylvia.cooper@theaugustapress.com.
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