JoeCherner-announce

Issue 4 Would Repeal All of Ohio's Clean Indoor Air Laws

Issue 4 is a constitutional amendment proposed by tobacco companies.  It would
repeal all local clean indoor air laws (like the strong one current in place in
Columbus and other smaller Ohio cities).  If Issue 4 wins, you will lose your
local smokefree air law...



Opinion/Surveys
Ohio: WILLIAMSON: Analysis: The big lie 
Category
  a.. Smokefree Policies
  b.. Elections/Politics
  c.. Op-Ed
  d.. Philanthropy/Funding
  e.. Dining/Entertainment
State
  a.. Ohio
Org
  a.. RJR
  b.. Lorillard
Source: Athens (OH) News, 2006-10-16
Author: Dan Williamson The Other Paper, Columbus 


According to a Columbus Dispatch poll published Sept. 24, Issue 4 is winning
55-38 and Issue 5 is up 58-34. That means some voters -- and probably a lot of
them -- plan to vote for both. 

If they do, they stand to be unpleasantly surprised at the result. 

Issue 5, which is backed by a group called "SmokeFreeOhio" and endorsed by
public-health advocates, would bring the rest of Ohio in line with the Columbus
indoor-smoking ban passed by City Council in 2004. Smoking would be prohibited
in almost all public indoor spaces, including bars, restaurants, entertainment
venues and office buildings. 

Issue 4, which is called "Smoke Less Ohio" and backed by the R.J. Reynolds
Tobacco Co. -- the folks behind the Joe Camel cartoon character -- would render
Issue 5 null and void. . . . 


And yet, not only does the campaign organization shamelessly call itself "Smoke
Less Ohio," but the Ohio secretary of state's office approved ballot language
that presents Issue 4 as a smoking ban. It begins with the sentence, "This
proposed amendment would prohibit smoking in enclosed areas except..." 

Except a whole lot of places: bars, bowling alleys, bingo halls, tobacco shops
and restaurants that make 40 percent of their profit from alcohol sales. 

So isn't it weird to call Issue 4 a smoking ban when -- particularly in
municipalities where public-smoking curbs exist -- it's just the opposite? 

"I don't think it's weird at all," Evans said. "The fact of the matter is, Ohio
does not have a smoking policy." 

That's true. It's also true that there are a few actual restrictions contained
in Issue 4. . . . 


In addition to R.J. Reynolds and other organizations, Issue 4 is supported by
the Cigar Association of America, the Lorillard Tobacco Co., the National
Association of Tobacco Outlets Inc. and the Retail Tobacco Dealers Association. 

R.J. Reynolds is bankrolling pro-smoking efforts in other states this year,
including Arizona, where the campaign brazenly calls itself the Arizona
Non-Smoker Protection Committee. 

NBC News did a story on the inherent dishonesty of the Ohio and Arizona efforts,
noting that Smoke Less Ohio petitioners did not disclose the fact that their
issue was being promoted by the tobacco industry. . . . 

It isn't until the second sentence that you learn the true intent of Issue 4's
backers: 

"The amendment would invalidate retroactively any ordinance or local law in
effect, and would prohibit the future adoption of any ordinance or local law to
the extent such ordinance or law prohibited smoking or tobacco products in
anyplace exempted by the amendment." 

Why isn't this sentence listed first? . . . 

Sabetta said the blame for this misleading language goes not only to the state
ballot board -- which includes the secretary of state, a state senator from each
political party and two additional appointed members -- but also to the League
of Women Voters . . . 


But if Issue 4 wins by only one vote, it will supersede Issue 5. 

It's telling that SmokeFreeOhio's Web site urges a "no" vote on Issue 4 before
it touts its own issue. Meanwhile, the Smoke Less Ohio Web site simply sells its
own issue. . . . 

t Smoke Less Ohio may be the first campaign to attract support by convincing
voters their issue will do the opposite of what it will actually do. 

Such a scenario does not haunt the conscience of Jacob Evans, however. 

"I would say it's totally unfair" to suggest the Issue 4 campaign is hoping to
trick voters, Evans said. 


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