From: Joe@smokefree.org
Date: Mon, 10/23/06
The following editorial from the Columbus (OH) Dispatch newspaper does a great
job explaining the differences between Issues 4 and 5. Joe Cherner
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Columbus Dispatch Editorial:
To Win Clean Indoor Air, Voters Must Reject Issue 4
October 21, 2006
The leader of the group SmokeLess Ohio admitted recently that the biggest
contributor to the campaign for State Issue 4 is R.J. Reynolds Tobacco. That
should tell you all you need to know about the proposal.
Issue 4 bills itself as the "commonsense smoking ban." But it's not about
protecting people from the hazards of tobacco smoke. It's about protecting the
bottom line of an industry that has lied repeatedly to the American people about
its deadly products. It's about disregarding the health and well-being of
employees and innocent bystanders. It's about overturning the will of the people
in 21 Ohio cities that already have made their indoor air clean by telling
smokers to move outdoors.
Smoke Less Ohio's proposal, Issue 4, will result in more smoke, not less.
For less smoke in Ohio, vote for State Issue 5, the proposal by the American
Cancer Society and other groups whose primary concern is public health, not Big
Tobacco's profits.
Some voters could become confused by the competing issues - and that is exactly
what Smoke Less Ohio is counting on.
Some people might think they are doing a good thing by voting for both Issue 4
and Issue 5. After all, both seem to be offering restrictions on smoking.
But voters should not fall into this trap.
If both issues did pass, Issue 4, a constitutional amendment, would trump Issue
5, an initiated statute. And if that wasn't bad enough, Issue 4 would tie the
hands of local communities by writing into the Ohio Constitution that they
cannot pass tougher smoking restrictions.
Then, the only way to fix this grave mistake would be with another
constitutional amendment.
The restaurant and bar owners who are pushing Issue 4 should realize that
they'll benefit from Issue 5, because it removes the incentive for smoking
customers, who are a small and shrinking percentage of Ohioans, to travel to
another community in search of an establishment where they can light up.
And, those owners, their employees and their customers will live longer, too.
Issue 4 would exempt bars, bingo halls, bowling alleys and racetracks from its
provisions. Don't workers in those businesses deserve protection from deadly
secondhand smoke?
Smoke Less Ohio says its proposal preserves the right of adults to smoke in
adults-only facilities. Since when are bowling and bingo adults-only activities?
And why leave out other adults-only businesses, such as factories and
laboratories? Smoke Less Ohio's Web site touts its proposal as a fair and
balanced approach, but Issue 4 is neither fair nor balanced. It picks and
chooses which businesses should benefit - that is, if you want to call a
building full of toxic smoke a benefit.
Approving State Issue 5 will level the playing field, preserve the smoking bans
in Columbus and 20 other Ohio cities and protect public health, but only if
voters also reject Issue 4. On the Nov. 7 ballot, vote no on Issue 4 and yes on
Issue 5.
Joseph W. Cherner
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the
world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead
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