The new Smoke-Free Ohio Law

[Bullwinkle 1]

For those of you who don't live in Ohio, and/or don't know about it, a law passed in the last election -- effective tomorrow -- wherein there is NO SMOKING in ANY workplace or public place. Not only do you hafta step outside to smoke, you can only do it in approved areas.

Even on your own property. Think about that.

The guy I work for owns this building. He owns it. Period. The poor schumck can't even step out into the plant and have a cigarette -- in his own building.

A few thoughts:

*** We have liquor licenses for businesses, why not have smoking licenses?

*** The new Smoke-Free Ohio Law is not a health issue. It's about property ownership and the right to conduct business as an owner sees fit.

*** Maybe the next move should be to forbid unruly children to dine in adult restaurants -- now there's an idea (for those people who want to spend quality time with their kids).

*** Or, perhaps it will soon be illegal for obese people to order fattening foods. After all, some people are disgusted by watching an overweight person eat. Think about what that does to the observer's stress level, watching a fat person scarf down a cheeseburger.....

OH, WAIT. That has already begun. New York City, just yesterday, has banned restaurants from using trans fats. Excuse me, but I thought that people who OWN a business can use whatever ingredients they want -- fully declaring them to their customers -- and then if the customer doesn't want to eat that food they can choose NOT to eat at that establishment.

It's all about choice, folks. And now Ohio business owners no longer have the choice to do what they want within their own walls.

And don't think I'm up on my soapbox because I'm a smoker. I'm an EX-smoker. This has NOTHING to do with smoking. It has EVERYTHING to do with control.

Wow. Now I feel better.

[anonemouse 1]

I completely agree with it. I only wish more states were doing it. Personally, I don't care what people do with their own bodies. But when it can affect my health, you better bet I'll agree with the regulation of it. I only wish they would pass laws where people can't smoke around children, especially babies. They can't exactly get away from it.

Speaking of smoking, I think a lot of smokers don't realize how much it stinks. I am very sensitive to the smell. I took a German class a few years ago. I sat in the middle of the room. This particular woman sat in the chair right next to the door. I was always in the classroom before she was, but even sitting several rows away from her, I could smell her when she walked in the room. She smelled very strongly of stale smoke. My throat would hurt every single day.

[Marimaru 7]

Well, in any state I've lived in, to the best of my knowledge it's always been illegal to smoke in a business, no matter who owned it. I guess even if you own the building and the business, it's still a consideration for the employees, or something to that effect.

But if you're outside, I'm not sure there should have to be a 'designated' area...

I think people've gone a little crazy with the trans-fat thing, but they have basically said that it's the worst one for you, and it's man-made... which I guess is why they feel like it can/should be controlled, or something like that.

[Wheetsin 714]

They can't exactly get away from it.

Smoking/non-smoking restaurants... you get seated on the smoking side and - what - the smoke just kind of knows not to pass that bench over there?

Yay! I get to ramble!

I heard about the transfat ruling this morning on NPR this morning.

When there's a choice involved, it's a slightly different situation, methinks. If Joe Smith wants to smoke in his office, that's fine - he doesn't need my business. If it's a place you would have to go to, my opinions would differ. If I have to be around it, something needs to be done.

And let's be realistic. I can't stand it when smokers say (as they do at my work), "Well no one is forcing you to work here!" Do we HAVE to go to work? Technically no, there is no unstoppable force that somehow requires I be there. If someone told me my life would end if I went to work tomorrow, you'd find an empty chair at my desk, so there is some option. But for practical intents & purposes, yes - I need to be there. I hate the "well you DON'T have to be there!" Uh well - I probably "need" to be here a little more than you "need" to smoke that cigarette, you chowderhead.

Both of my parents smoked for most of my life with them. With them as in under their roof. They had intermittent, temporary successes at breaking the habit - which is kind of the same thing as they failed. About 7 years ago they both stopped cold turkey, and haven't looked back since, except for the one cigar a year my dad has when he kicks of his fly fishing season.

Yes smoke(rs) stinks! And I know there are some smokers out there who are saying, "Not me!" Yes, you too! It's not saying you're dirty - but having lived with it for something like 18 years I know that you can't avoid it. And I agree with you Laurend, they truly have no idea. I know my parents didn't, and I know I didn't - even though I never smoked, it still gets in your hair, skin, fabrics...

The people with the worst breath never know it. That doesn't mean they don't have bad breath. The women who wear too much perfume never think it's that strong, but it doesn't make it more subtle.

When I first moved out into my own apartment, I would still go to my parents' house to do my laundry. And I would hang it up to dry. And only living OUTSIDE of their house, and then coming back into it, did I realize how much it STANK. The first time I did that, the clothes hung in my closet for days and you could still smell the stink. So I rewashed everything, and had a talk with my parents because it had - just at that exact moment - made me realize that *I* smelled like that for my entire life.

If I'm in a meeting and a smoker comes in and sits next to me, I will get up and move. I don't do it to be rude, but I cannot tolerate the smell. It literally makes me nauseous.

So like I said, my parents quit smoking several years ago. And they began to realize certain things... like they coughed less, and had fewer sinus problems, and food was suddenly tastier, and their teeth had started getting whiter, and their complexion was better, and - their house really smelled bad! And their ceilings, and walls, and even their draperies that mom cleaned religiously were discolored, yellowed, streaked.

And they came to me and said, "Why didn't you tell us we smelled so bad!"

[Bullwinkle 1]

Just to illustrate the ramifications of this law:

A lady runs a small business from her home, babysitting four kids while their parents work.

She smokes, but never smokes in her home. Ever. She always steps outside on her back deck.

As of tomorrow, she will be breaking the law if she smokes on that back deck. She has to be so many feet from the building. By law, a designated smoking area has to be set up and clearly marked. Further, she must post a state-mandated "NO SMOKING" sign -- in color -- listing the number to call if someone wishes to report abuse of the law.

In her own home, on her own property.

Further, since she runs this business from her home, if she has friends or family come over to her home for holidays or family gatherings -- not during her business hours -- those people are forbidden to smoke in the building (the house) or on the property, except in the designated smoking area.

On private property.

I see something very wrong with that.

[Carlene 12]

Yes smoke(rs) stinks! And I know there are some smokers out there who are saying, "Not me!" Yes, you too! It's not saying you're dirty - but having lived with it for something like 18 years I know that you can't avoid it. And I agree with you Laurend, they truly have no idea. I know my parents didn't, and I know I didn't - even though I never smoked, it still gets in your hair, skin, fabrics... "

You are absolutely right. I didn't realize this until I stopped smoking. Now I can smell it on my daughter's children when they come to visit, and I promise you, it's not because the six year-old is lighting up on the playground. It's because they live with a smoker.

I once made someone an afghan and sent it to them for Christmas. I found out later that they had to wash it before they could stand to be near the thing, even though they thought it was lovely. And I didn't smoke while I crocheted the afghan. Just sitting around in my smoke-filled house between those times I actually picked it up was enough to impregnate the fibers with the very nasty, very long-lasting stench of cigarette smoke.

By the way, I hate to admit this, but I once had a little sign on my office door that said, "I smoke....Thank you for not breathing". Tacky, tacky, tacky.

[anonemouse 1]

It is a shame that she can't smoke in her own home. But she is the one that chose to turn it into a business. As such, she is required to comply by the business laws. To me, it is no different than if she ran a small restaurant out of her home. She would still be required to comply with health code laws, even if the restaurant was closed at night.

[Carlene 12]

It is a shame that she can't smoke in her own home. But she is the one that chose to turn it into a business. As such, she is required to comply by the business laws. To me, it is no different than if she ran a small restaurant out of her home. She would still be required to comply with health code laws, even if the restaurant was closed at night.

I don't think the business is in his home. I think he owns the building where the business is located.

[missy4gordon 0]

I quit smoking over 3 years ago, Yay me! But interestingly, I have found that as a smoker, I was very rarely sick, ie: colds, flu, etc. Since being a non-smoker, I catch everything and anything there is to catch. Coincidence? Who knows, but I DO know, I SMELL a WHOLE LOT better now! I can immediately smell a smoker, yuk. The smell of a smoker to me is nauseating, but a freshly lit cigarette, mmmmm, makes me remember fondly my old smoking days. Wierd, huh?

[sweethot143 2]

That is one huge thing I miss about living in the States. In germany everyone smokes and it is so so nasty! We don't eat out in resteraunts at all because the smoke is so gross. I am all for this law. I hate paying money to eat out and get blasted with second hand smoke and increase my chances of cancer! Why should us nonsmokers risk our health for smokers? However, I could care less if people smoke in their own homes and outside, it's thier business if they want to ruin their bodies.

[the best me 6]

I quit smoking over 3 years ago, Yay me! But interestingly, I have found that as a smoker, I was very rarely sick, ie: colds, flu, etc. Since being a non-smoker, I catch everything and anything there is to catch. Coincidence? Who knows, but I DO know, I SMELL a WHOLE LOT better now! I can immediately smell a smoker, yuk. The smell of a smoker to me is nauseating, but a freshly lit cigarette, mmmmm, makes me remember fondly my old smoking days. Wierd, huh?

The very first time I quit smoking, I had never been more sick in my life. My allergies went nutso, and now I'm allergic to pets and who knows what else? Odd, but true.

I quit AGAIN just 8 days ago, and I hesitate to have an opinion about this Ohio Law. My gut sees something wrong with this. No particular reasoning, no statistics, no proof, just a knee-jerk opinion. Let the smokers stink, I smell pretty now! :eek: Yay me.

[smatyas 0]

They just passed a law in Arizona where no one can smoke in bars... I know that there already are bars that are smoke free, but making all of them that way is rediculous...

You know who voted for it to be that way? People who don't smoke, and probably don't even go to the bars. I'm sure there also were a few that don't smoke and do go to the bars that voted.

[Bullwinkle 1]

Also.........

A guy is driving in a company truck in Michigan -- and his company is based in Michigan -- and he is driving south, smoking a cigarette or cigar.

As SOON as he hits that Ohio border, by law, he MUST extinguish that cigarette because he's driving a company vehicle and, according to Ohio law, you cannot smoke in a company vehicle in Ohio.

Again, I find something wrong with that because it's a MICHIGAN company vehicle.

I just think this has gone too far.

[sweethot143 2]

Maybe the next move should be to forbid unruly children to dine in adult restaurants -- now there's an idea (for those people who want to spend quality time with their kids).

*** Or, perhaps it will soon be illegal for obese people to order fattening foods. After all, some people are disgusted by watching an overweight person eat. Think about what that does to the observer's stress level, watching a fat person scarf down a cheeseburger.....

Not a very valid argument here.

1. unruly kids are not causing others lung cancer or any cancer at that.

2. Fat people eating fattening foods are killing themselves and noone else.

Secondhand smoke that kills others, not just the person smoking can't be compared to unruly children or fattening foods. really.

[Carlene 12]

You know who voted for it to be that way? People who don't smoke, and probably don't even go to the bars. I'm sure there also were a few that don't smoke and do go to the bars that voted.

Well, that just kinda goes without saying, don't you think?

People in favor of slavery were all free, I'm sure.