Council smart to move fast

Tribune Opinion
September 21, 2007

Chewing tobacco looks like a romantic alternative to cigarettes, a way for cowboys to prove their manhood and a harmless sponsor of the Greeley Independence Stampede.

Instead, it's a deadly nuisance, and that's why we're in favor of the Greeley City Council banning samples of it faster than a rodeo cowboy roping a calf.

A sponsor of the Stampede distributes free spit tobacco every year to those 18 and older, and in fact organizers in that tent make it pretty clear they're targeting young people who may not know any better before they're hooked. In exchange, the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co. supplies a high-tech scoreboard for the event.

We're still stunned the Stampede thinks it's OK for a company to try to hook its young fans just so it can keep score at a rodeo. But if the City Council approves a ban -- and it should, soon, given the energetic response of our elected officials when it was proposed at a work session -- those samples would disappear in a puff of smoke.

The ban might even do the Stampede a favor. Stampede officials may still be able to keep their scoreboard because, hey, it wasn't their fault the city banned tobacco samples. We doubt U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co. would want to abandon such a high-profile marketing chance just because it can't hand out chew samples to 18-year-olds. If it does leave, then we'll know its true and only intent was to get young folks addicted to its product.

We would urge council members not to follow their unfortunate usual procedure of delaying a decision. Let's set a firm date on getting an ordinance in their hands. It shouldn't be too hard to find a model: Almost 400 cities nationwide have a similar ordinance. And then the Greeley City Council should approve it right away for once.

We like the ordinance because it doesn't ban chewing tobacco, which should be a personal choice. It bans tobacco companies from giving out samples of it. That's all. It makes their life harder to get customers addicted to their deadly product. And that's probably the best reason of all to approve it.