Several Ohio cities have passed smoking bans in recent years, to the relief of many. These local efforts have expanded to a group called
Smoke Free Ohio which has been promoting a statewide ballot issue to ban smoking in public places. This group has been collecting signatures for the November ballot.
Stinging from a few futile efforts to roll back the bans (like a ballot issue in Columbus to allow an exception for bars--heavily defeated), the tobacco interests have switched to the tactics they know best: misdirection and deception. A group called Smoke Less Ohio is collecting signatures for a ballot issue that would ROLL BACK existing smoking bans.
Financial supporters of Smoke Less Ohio include RJ Reynolds, Lorillard Tobacco Company, Retail Tobacco Dealers Association and the Cigar Association of America.
According to the Columbus Other Paper:
Across Ohio, countless shoppers, festival attendees and scattered passersby are being stopped and asked to sign petitions to put questions on the November ballot.
"Smoke Less Ohio" and "Learn & Earn" are two of several groups trying to amend the Ohio constitution. Their first hurdle is collecting the signatures of 322,899 registered Ohio voters before the August deadline.
Given their names, you might assume the Smoke Less group is trying to curb smoking and the Learn & Earn group is some kind of education organization.
But if Smoke Less Ohio's constitutional amendment is passed, it will overturn smoking limits like those in place in Columbus and several surrounding communities.
Under the Smoke Less proposal, there would be a modest statewide ban on smoking in some public buildings. But there will be no limits on smoking in bars, bowling alleys or other buildings that ban children. And all restaurants could maintain smoking sections.
Meanwhile, despite the name and a colorful website filled with pictures of children, Learn & Earn's purpose is to introduce slot machines in Ohio, primarily at racetracks.
Should Smoke Less be called Smoke More, or at the very minimum, Smoke?
full story:
What's In a Name? Misdirection. (Columbus Other Paper)