INDIANAPOLIS — Twenty-five years ago this week, visitors of Market Square Arena were greeted with a new no smoking policy.
Under the new policy, smoking was prohibited in public concourses, concession areas, and restrooms. Smoking was permitted on the sixth floor outdoor plazas, the sixth floor box office lobby and on the third floor west lobby.
Smokers were fired up about the change.
"No it's not fair," Pheola Akers said. "Do you realize how much money and taxes that smokers pay? Do you realize how we contribute to the economy? Everybody might not want to smoke, but I'm getting a little sick and tired of non-smokers infringing on my individual rights as a smoker.”
However, MSA general manager Rick Fuson told Channel 6 that the new policy was a sign of the times.
"I think it’s a thing that is happening around the country and we certainly have had some complaints about smoking in the concourse area," Fuson said. "The more and more evidence that people show about secondhand smoke. It’s gotten worse in terms of the amount of smoke in the concourse area and it was just in time to say no more in the concourse area."
Smokers were allowed to use a pass to access designated smoking areas at the arena.
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