Smoking was back on the table as a subject of discussion at theBrookhaven Board of Aldermen meeting Tuesday night.

In the absence of Ward Six Alderman Buddy Allen, a staunch foeof no-smoking efforts, Ward Five Alderman D.W. Maxwell said hebelieved there needed to be progress toward a resolution to bansmoking in restaurants and other public places. He said thereshould be an alternative to the current city ordinance askingrestaurant owners to enforce their own smoking ban.

A number of Mississippi communities have either enacted smokingbans or have contemplated a measure. Maxwell said he hearsquestions on the smoking ban many times a week.

“I don’t know about each of you, but I’m hit with it four orfive times a week, and I tell them to call each of you,” Maxwellsaid. “I may sound like a broken record, but I think it’s somethingwe need to decide we’re going to do or not do.”

The fact that some restaurants still allow smoking istroublesome, Maxwell said, since there has not in his opinion beena clear message passed to the community on whether or not they cansmoke in public areas. He mentioned the Cracker Barrel restaurant,which has a smoking section and a company policy that keeps thesection in place as long as the city the restaurant is located indoes not have an ordinance against it.

The alderman also pointed out a new restaurant in town with aseparate section for smoking. The smoking section, he said, has aseparate ventilation system.

Maxwell suggested perhaps that could be a stipulation in theprocess.

“I just want to ask the board to get on board and make adecision on this,” he said. “We need to be able to tell thecitizens either we’re working on it or no, we’re not.”

Ward Two Alderman Terry Bates pointed out that it’s becomingmore rare to find people smoking in restaurants.

“Most people have stopped smoking in restaurants,” he said.

Ward One Alderman Dorsey Cameron said that should make theresolution pass much more easily if that is the case.

“That tells you right there that we shouldn’t have a problempassing this,” he said.

The board decided to gather more information on how other citieshave done with their policies and to return to the issue at a laterdate.