Posted on 11/22/2005 4:19:34 AM PST by E Rocc
-- Smokers will soon have to take it outside more often in Summit County.
The Summit County Council narrowly passed an ordinance Monday night restricting indoor smoking, making it illegal to smoke in bars, restaurants and workplaces in the county. There is a $150 fine for a first offense.
The proposal, which passed 6-5, pitted bar owners and smokers against those who decry the ill effects of secondhand cigarette smoke.
"This will save lives," said Gene Nixon, Summit County health commissioner. "This is a courageous thing to do."
Scott Brewer, who said he owns six taverns in Summit County, said the law could force him to lay off some of his workers if revenue drops because smokers stay away.
"It will kill my business," Brewer said. Some bar owners believe that smokers will now patronize bars and restaurants in adjacent counties, where they can drink, eat and smoke legally.
The bill's passage came only after its prime sponsors agreed to restrictions.
Council agreed Monday night to exempt tobacco shops, 20 percent of hotel and motel rooms and private, nonprofit clubs. Racetracks were also excluded, and bowling alleys are permitted to have smoking lounges.
Councilman Nick Kostandaras, whose northern Summit County district includes Northfield Park, pushed for most of those exemptions.
Summit County Executive Jim McCarthy, who is a smoker, said through a spokeswoman Monday night that he will sign the ordinance into law. It is set to take effect Feb. 28.
But while supporters applauded loudly in the packed council chambers after the measure passed, the city of Akron is already balking.
Mark Williamson, a spokesman for Mayor Don Plusquellic, said an existing law in Akron supersedes the new county law. About 40 percent of Summit County's residents live in Akron, where an existing clean indoor air law allows smoking in bars.
Some Summit County Council members support an effort to get a statewide prohibition against indoor smoking. Proponents have argued that such a law would be more uniform and would not pit county against county or community against community. Supporters of statewide restrictions on indoor smoking in public places are trying to get an issue on the ballot in Ohio next year.
A statewide ban would supersede bans already in place in 21 Ohio cities, including Columbus and Toledo.
Supporters of the Summit County law say it is a step toward fighting secondhand smoke and sends a message to state lawmakers that more Ohio communities are supporting laws banning smoking inside public buildings.
-Eric
FMCDH(BITS)
Read how much smokers are contributing to their state economy. And some have the nerve to say smokers are the reason for higher health costs. Read this and know the truth.
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Our own office building isn't much better. It's pretty sad when professional people have to huddle together in a parking lot like a bunch of thugs just to have a cigarette. I don't smoke, but I really feel for these folks. Besides, it just looks bad. Of course, I suppose that will be the justification for banning smoking altogether.
Privately owned businesses are "public buildings" only in the addled brains of goosestepping Marxists. People who believe government should control how private property is used are fascists.
We are losing the concept of English common law where a man's home was his castle and the king's troops may not enter. Welcome to fascist America.
The bans are totally asinine! Aroostook County in Maine went smoke free for all health care facilities. I found out that in order for them to receive huge monetary grants, they had to ban smokers and smoking. Not long after, our local hospital received a huge MRI machine and you should see the remodeling they did.
They have chopped off the heads of the smokers for money!
And in southern Maine, they opened up TWO meth clinics with grant money because the smokers were banned. The general non-smoking public have NO idea of what is going on behind the scenes to ban smokers yet continue to collect huge money from us. There has to be an end in site.................
Personally, I wish all smokers could quit for just 6 months. That would set each state budget into a tail spin!
It's always about either money or power...or both. What about right and wrong?
There is a hospital, a nursing home and a couple of medical buildings in the couple of block area where I work, and since the ridiculous smoking bans anywhere on the property of medical facilities has been initiated, we are now seeing medical personnel and patients literally hanging out on street corners in scrubs, lab coats and bathrobes. This is stupidity taken to the level of absurdity. We were making a joke the other day about a little old man who was kinda wandering around out there smoking a cigarette and wondering how long it would be before some less alert patient got hit by a car while out having a smoke.The woman I'm seeing is an RN who works part time in an ER. She smokes, so do many of her co-workers. It's a stress thing.
One of the more ludicrous things I've ever seen was when I got stuck on jury duty at Cuyahoga County courthouse. Cleveland banned smoking in office buildings. But the jurors have a smoking room and each judge has the option of allowing smoking in the hallways outside their courtrooms.
-Eric
In this day and age, there is no right and wrong, according to the anti's. And they found a great patsy in people who smoke.
Also, with all these lies about second hand smoke and swaying the general public to believe that our smoke is killing them, is just another ploy to push smokers into the background as lepers.
If smoking and second hand smoke is so bad, why don't they just ban the whole works and be done with it. But, once again, they would cut off their own noses to save their ugly faces. Where oh where would they get the money that is generated by smokers? I believe smokers should be put on a pedestal for all the money we shell out and how we keep saving state budgets.
The lawmakers and the anti's sure can't have both!
""This will save lives," said Gene Nixon, Summit County health commissioner. "This is a courageous thing to do."
Fascists always consider their trampling of individual liberty and private property rights as courageous. I look forward to the FR posters celebrating this fascism.
How the hell do they know it's going to save lives? This is the most ridiculous statement yet!
Some time ago, I had occasion to visit the Veterans' Hospital in Dallas. Smoking was forbiden, and outside there were many Vietnam veterans who hung out on the patios to smoke. Many were in wheelchairs with IV drips on rollers. I can't tell you how sad it was except to say the temp. outside was below freezing. One more way to bash our veterans.
Guess by now even that is not allowed since all the wimpy, whining facists have figured out they have to pass through those areas. They'll never be satisfied 'til we bend completely to their will.
Yes, the bars in surrounding areas will benefit from this........it is the modus operandi of the anti-smoker crowd. Because summit businesses will be hurt by this, they will agree with the antis and help push for a statewide ban as opposed to working to get the Summit ban repealed.
Standard divide and conquer technique. And the sad thing is there are far too many FReepers who are in full support of these government edicts.
In this day and age, there is no right and wrong, according to the anti's. And they found a great patsy in people who smoke.One of South Park's greatest hits was the time that the giude at the "Museum of Tolerance" called the smoker she saw outside all kinds of intolerant names. >:)
The time the goofy anti-smoking activists got the kids curious about trying it was epic too.
-Eric
Have to agree with that, libby. I don't like smoking either, but the restrictions and solutions are getting ridiculous, especially with your medical facility example.
I ride by the high school every day and see high school staff hanging around with the smokers just outside school property. As soon as staff gets back inside, they are busting the same kids they were smoking with earlier. How's that for a double standard?
Where I work, there were plans in place not to allow employees to smoke in their car while on company property. Now how could they enforce that!!! I am glad to say that was able to participate in the overthrow of that regulation. LOL!
Get this: Fox News had on Cynthia from Sex and the City the other morning. She said one woman grabbed her and told her off about all that smoking on the show!
Can you believe it? I guess the porn and the sex, etc was ok with this woman, but smoking was the big bug a boo with her. What an idiot! The show is NOT for kids anyway!
Hey Gene, why don't you just set all the speed limits in your county to 15 miles an hour, that will save even more lives. Now that would be courageous, you moronic do gooder.
The Summit County Council narrowly passed an ordinance Monday night restricting private property rights, making it illegal for owners to determine their own clientele in bars, restaurants and workplaces in the county.
There - that is how the first sentence should read.
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