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Oxford businesses must implement smoking ban

(Eric Frey)

Across Ohio, non-smokers and smokers alike breathed a collective sigh of relief Nov. 7 when Issue 5 the Smoke Free Workplace Act passed. The act created an indoor smoking ban in most public places and places of employment as of Dec. 7. Yet, that fateful day came and went with few changes. Many Oxford bars, though prepared to enforce the ban in December, still permit smoking nearly a month later. This is far from an appropriate course of action on the part of Oxford businesses, considering not only that the ban is law and still in effect, but also that an overwhelming majority of voters within Oxford (73.5 percent) voted in support of the smoking ban.

Much confusion has, perhaps rightly, surrounded the implementation and enforcement of the ban. The Ohio Department of Health plainly delineates that public establishments and places of employment must prohibit smoking, post "No Smoking" signs that include a telephone number for reporting violations, and remove all ashtrays as of Dec. 7. Anyone who has visited Balcony or Top Deck recently, however, is well aware that, although "No Smoking" signs are posted, cigarettes are lit up ubiquitously and without objection.

How can this illegal act slide by without repercussions if the ban is still in effect? Until the director of health establishes enforcement procedures (which must be made by June 7), the ban exists in a gray area. With no established authority to enforce the ban and no established recipient of citation fees, compliance with the smoking ban is in the hands of business owners.

Nonetheless, it is the social responsibility of these owners to comply with the law - and the law dictates that smoking is prohibited in public places. Given that every single Oxford precinct voted "yes" to the smoking ban, and in high numbers, it is apparent that the ban is popular and necessary. Overall, the majority of Butler County voters (59.2 percent) supported the ban. This assessment of the election results clearly underscores the demand among Oxford citizens for a predominantly non-smoking environment. Voters believed they were voting yes or no on Issue 5, only to learn a month later that their "yes" vote was not taken seriously by local businesses.

By June 7, all Ohio businesses will be made to comply with the smoking ban or face penalties. There is no reason why Oxford businesses should prolong the move to non-smoking, particularly when Oxford citizens significantly support the implementation and enforcement of the smoking ban. The citizens of Oxford have spoken with their votes; now the time has come for Oxford businesses to equally implement and enforce the smoking ban.