It’s been four years since the Ohio smoking ban went into effect. At the time, the law seemed like a big fire extinguisher sprayed at the tip of collective Flavor Country with rules, fines, and enforcement mechanisms to ensure that establishments complied.
In reality, flagrant flouting of the rules and Ohio’s inability to collect the levied fines make the ban more like a Montessori-school behavioral suggestion and not a law.
The Dayton Daily News reports that after four years of sending fines to violators, more the two-thirds have yet to be paid. With all $1.5 million of funds to enforce the ban having been cut from the state’s budget, Ohio now has little to no cash to go after the unpaid fines, money for which they were counting on to pay for enforcement. Follow that? In short: it’s a vicious circle that leaves the smoking ban completely toothless.
This article appears in May 4-10, 2011.
it was a stupid law to begin with that nothing to do with smoking…only taking away rights that people had and the public is still too stupid to understand it…just look at senate bill 5. if you dont want to be where people ( for any event) are smoking or anything else, then move on to the next pub or place. its that simple folks..
Stupid law. Yep! If you obey the smoking ban, you lose your business, your home, your credit. If you disobey the law, you might get a ticket, but you WILL get my undying respect for standing up for property rights!
Nobody’s paying real property taxes either, so why worry about paying fines for smoking? Makes no sense.
Sounds like to me if no one else pays their fines we will have are rights back. LMFAO this is so funny that they cant enforce the law until people pay their fines. Everyone needs to make sure everyone knows about this so they dont pay their fines and we gain are smoking rights back. I’m not against people that dont like smoke from tobacco but it should be up to the bussiness owner if they deem to have smoking or not or even offer smoking and non smoking section. Also if businees owners decide not to allow smoking in their establishment then that should be respected just as well as someone that choices to allow smoking.
simple, revoke their liquor license and put liens on the buildings
I always thought a smoking ban in a bar was stupid. Making one unhealthy vice illegal but allowing another to persist is kind of lame. Hell, more people in a bar will have liver problems before they have lung problems.
why they didn’t allow bars and such to hang up a sign saying “This Is A Smoking Establishment” (or We’re Not…) in the first place? I don’t smoke any more but i still go to a certain Kamm’s bar that’s been sited many times. it should have been a choice from the start. now the owners should be allowed to hang a sign that says “Trans Fats Inside!”
Its the same old story Democrats want the right to tell everybody else how to live their life. The democratic party has become anti freedom and anti American. This crap was voted in by democrats. Its sad how democrats dont understand the meaning of freedom anymore and want to control how we live. Democrats are destroying America as we know it.
The only people who care left the state as soon as the ban was passed.
im an ex-smoker, i was a smoker when i voted for the ban, to think that your “freedom” as a smoker is more important than the person’s ‘freedom” next to you is just plan ignorant. Don’t be stupid, there is no question what so ever that smoking will kill you and those around you. Be human, not selfish jerks…. and if you rely on the myth that the ban drives away customers, think again and look at the bars that are thriving, they are not crappy dive bars where people go to drink away their hopes
To WahooWonder. If owners of bars and restaurants could have the freedom to make their establishments smoking or non-smoking then we would also have the freedom of where to go. No one would be forcing you to sit next a smoker if you have a problem with that – just go down the street to a place that doesn’t allow smoking. If going non-smoking is good for business then there should be plenty of places. Just one more observation. I don’t know anyone who has died from second hand smoke in my 58 years. Can you name one?
But guys it’s good for the people! If it’s good for them it must be good for all of us, and if you don’t agree then obviously you’re some sort of loser loner with no friends.
Hmmm… Doesn’t that sound familiar?
i understand that, if u notice its more people outside the bar than inside now…..where can they go but outside to smoke……an when the law pass by that club or bar they ask yo to go inside cause its to many people in front….lol……sounds stupid dont it?
You have no rights to tell anyone what they can or cannot do in their business, you tread dangerously on the rights of the people who are greater, stronger and will remove you from your “lofty” position. This earth is comprised of pussies who need to step up when your rights are being crapped on by money grubbing politicians. The people who started this country gladly grew the grass we stand on with their spilled blood. Put down your smartphones, look away from your T.V. stop polishing your stupid S.U.V. and look around if you’ve got the guts….