To the editor:

St. Louis County voters should be careful about the smoking ban that will be on the Nov. 3 ballot as Proposition N.

If a smoking ban is enacted, it will result in a loss of business and eventually a loss of jobs. Since neighboring counties do not have a smoking ban, business and tax dollars will head to St. Charles and Jefferson Counties, where there are no smoking bans.

The state of Illinois enacted a comprehensive smoking ban last year and it has been a disaster for the state. Smokers have gone to Missouri and other neighboring states, causing the loss of hundreds of millions of tax dollars every year.

Smoking bans in Ballwin, Arnold and Columbia have also caused harm to businesses.

The St. Louis County smoking ban is such a flawed proposal it has even been opposed by the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association and American Cancer Society.

Voters would be wise to reject Proposition N.

Kurt Schimmer, treasurer

Citizens Against Proposition N

Oakville