Record Smoking Ban Complaints Lead To Increased Fines

newsnet5 Cleveland ^ | 12/24/2007 | Associated Press

[mmichaels1970]

DAYTON, Ohio -- Tens of thousands of complaints about violations of Ohio's new smoking ban -- many from the same few businesses -- have resulted in just hundreds of fines, leading county heath departments to say they plan to step up enforcement of the law.

Fines for violating the ban, which outlaws indoor smoking in most public places, are about to get bigger and more frequent for delinquent business owners, health officials warned. The ban was approved by Ohio voters in November 2006.

Local health departments began enforcing the law on May 3, and have since logged more than 19,000 violations, or about 100 a day, on 7,300 establishments. Of those violations, only about 230 fines were issued, according to Ohio Department of Health data from the first seven months of enforcement.

The law calls for a graduated series of punishments: After an initial warning, a second violation is $100, growing to $2,500 for fifth and subsequent violations. But that could soon change.

In Montgomery County, where almost 1,300 complaints have resulted in only 58 warnings and 10 fines, officials said they've cleared administrative hurdles and are ready to issue big fines.

"It's going to be our strategy to double the second fine," said Alan Pierce, a supervisor of general services at Public Health Dayton and Montgomery County. "So instead of $500, we can go for $1,000."

Private clubs are among the state's worst offenders, according to a Dayton Daily News analysis of the state smoking complaint data. Of the top 10 targets of smoking complaints in the state, eight are private clubs. And members of the Moose and Eagles lodges, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion and Amvets call in nearly a quarter of all smoking ban violation complaints.

[The Ghost of Rudy McRomney]

My apologies to all-the link I posted in post#84, I believe it was, didn’t reproduce-here it is. This is one reason I can’t enjoy holidays much any more.

http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2007/12/21/local_news/02news.txt

[elkfersupper]

Are you still on the Ron Paul blim...... sorry.... bandwagon?

Actually, I have matured to the point that the only race I'm interested in for this election cycle is the Republican Primary for Sen. Domenici's seat.

I'm voting for the male.