Ohio Is Smoke-Free!
On November 7, Ohio voters soundly rejected R.J. Reynold’s Issue 4 and strongly supported Issue 5 backed by 575 businesses, churches, and health groups. This was a resounding victory for SmokeFreeOhio and a historic step towards improving the health of Ohio workers and customers.
The law went into effect December 7, and, despite challenges by opponents, the law is still in effect. Businesses are expected to comply with the law, meaning ashtrays need to be removed, signs need to be posted, and smoking needs to be stopped.
However, citations cannot be written and fines cannot be levied until the rules of enforcement are finalized by the Ohio Department of Health. Please be assured that the campaign and our partners are doing everything we can to assist in the rule-making process.
In the meantime, the Ohio Department of Health’s toll-free reporting number is still taking calls on those who violated the law. It is important that they receive information from you about businesses that are not complying. When they receive that educational letter, they will know that someone complained and that someone is paying attention. The toll-free number is 1-866-559-OHIO.
The best thing we can do as supporters right now is to continue going out to our favorite establishments and show those business owners that going smoke-free is a good thing for their bottom line.