Great news last week! The Colorado Supreme Court ruled that the Colorado Clean Air Act of 2006 is not unconstitutional! Keep on smoking outside!

I am one of the most effected people by the Ohio non-smoking ban. I'm a bartender. A non-smoking bartender which makes me an oddity. I can tell you that beyond a shadow of a doubt that this ban is terrible for bars. I have a college education, and chose to bartend instead of going into the corporate world. WHY! I was making an excellent income before the ban. A lot more than starting out at entry level or mid level. I have a wife and children and was able to spend quality time with them throughout the day. I had freedom and flexability with my career which not many do. Anyone who thinks that bartending is not a sales career has either never done it or is nuts. Life couldn't get any better. We had built a life around my career. Nice home, vehicles, college education plans, eveything. Now I bring home about 30% less income a week. Now we live so tight fisted that our lives is no longer our own. Why don't I change careers? I still make more than I would starting out at a boring 9-5 job. The sad part is that we as a state did this to ourselves. That includes myself because like many I voted for the ban believing it was for something else. Our ignorance is no excuse. Still there has to be a comprimise. I understand no smoking in public buildings, hospitals, and restaurants. I define restaurant as a place that serves a higher percentage of food to booze. A bar though, you know walking in there is going to be smoking, old men telling tall tales of themselves, a drunk guy hitting on the women. Its as ingrained in society as anything. To me the next step will be saying that people can go to church they just can't pray there. I actually believe the statistic that 80% of ohioans are non-smoking. In a bar though 80% of the regular client base are smokers. I look at it everyday. I have heard all the non-smokers say we will come out more without smoking in the bars. Where the hell are you. The other argument I have heard is that people who smoke will still come out. They do just not as often because they are inconvienenced, and the fact a lot of places have had to increase the price of alcohol to make up for the lack of business. The non-smokers who come out most of them should just stay home. On average they don't spend near the amount of money as the average smoker or on average tip near as well. Another thing that has occurred that I find hilarious is the fact that parents bring in their children now and get pissed that we won't let them sit at the bar. There is a real ban that should happen. Parents feeling all good about their child not having breathe smoke while they get drunk and drive them home. You know children in a bar makes everyone want to stay a while longer. Look there are a lot of people with money (probably a non-smoker since they aren't spending any of it in a bar), there are a lot of smart people, and tere are those who are both. Doesn't someone think that somebody would have opened a bar that was non-smoking if they thought it would make money. If anyone wants to there are 3 that are 4 sale that have closed in the last six months by my home. That way people have options. Lets see whose business does better, smoking or non-smoking bars. The law is not unconstituional, we voted on it, just unfair to bar owners many of whom opened their doors a long time ago with the notion of smoking as part of their business. Take any other business, present a radical chang overnight, and lets see them succeed. What if it was voted that all farmers and trucking companies had to switch to all hybrid machinery. How many could actually make it? Its healthier for erveryone which seems to be a sticking point. Like our local commercial says breathe that clean air. The best comprimise I can come up with is to have smoking licenses for bars. That way it is the business owners right to chose to allow or not allow smoking. People would have options on where they could go. The license would work like our state liquor license where you pay a large fee up front with an annual renewal. That should help the state alleviate some of the 23% sales tax revenue loss from the hospitality industry. That way my children have a chance at going to a scholl that isn't falling apart, or reading outdated text books due to lack of funding.

I think there should not be a smoking ban, but since no one can agree why not segrate the smokers and non smokers.Then all of the people who smoke and apparently do not have anything better to do with their lives but complain would have nothing to complain about. But oops wait a minute, there is always some other organization they can join. So let me see I think the one that says that the people who have soooooo much time on theri hands to think up unjust and rather silly things to do with their time. AI think there should be a BAN on that.

Where are you people coming up with this "It is my right to smoke" notion? I looked into it, and the only argument that anyone could conjure up is that the 14th Amendment (or Article 4, though they are the same thing) guarantees that right. The 14th only guarantees "privileges or immunities". Never have I seen that interpreted to mean smoking. For the most part, it seems to mean that all citizens are promised the rights given in the first 8 amendments, which really have nothing to do with smoking. I'll give you this much: you should be allowed to smoke in your own private homes. There is no "right" to smoke in public. I can't for the life of me see why so many people would be so insistent on filling themselves with toxic fumes.

OK, so I was mistaken on the current market price of a pack of cigarettes. Youre right. I shouldve looked into that a little more closely. With regards to the girl you mentioned, it is of course sad that that happened. But you seem content to blame the ban for her death. At the risk of sounding overly sarcastic, I think it is safe to say that the rapist killed her, and if you want to get deeper into it, her own decisions. Nobody forced her to become a smoker. Nobody forced her to that bar. Nobody forced her to smoke that cigarette.
Maybe I do want smoking to be illegal. Ask yourself this: What good has smoking a cigarette ever brought? If you Google benefits of smoking the first one is a clearly pro-smoking website. The only logical long-term beneficial aspect of smoking is that it might help prevent Parkinsons disease. On Yale Medical Groups website, there is a posting about the hazards of smoking (http://ymghealthinfo.org/content.asp?pageid=p07345). The risks include lung disease, oral cancer, heart disease, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, stroke, etc. Personally, Ill take my chances with Parkinsons. So why are you driven to smoke?
Back to square one. There are certain counties in California that have a smoking ban that is effective on ALL rental properties (like apartments, duplexes, etc.). This is for the protection of the 80% of us that DONT SMOKE. I think it is only fair to cite a few instances of what such a ban could have prevented. Go to http://www.firesafecigarettes.org/itemDetail.asp?categoryID=126&itemID=1861&URL=In%20the%20news/From%20the%20wires/News%20accounts%20from%202006. Anything that mentions a rental property would not have happened if smoking was banned from such property. So lets see: 10 deaths in apartment fires, several injuries and hundreds of people displaced, and at least $200,000 in damages (not counting the one that caused a full million). All of this could have likely been prevented with the ban on rental properties (maybe that ban should be extended to nursing homes, after having read that article).
Let me ask you one more question. You seem like the type of person who would argue that smoking bans are unconstitutional. Why do you feel that way?

I agree with you. If a person wants to spend their money on cigarettes, let them. Some people send their money on expensive cars, designer purses, or alcohol, and do we criticize them? How could someone say they want smoking to be completely illegal? Thats like saying everything should be illegal. A person should have the right to do what they want, and where they want. I do not think there should be such thing as a smoking ban. Restaurants, bowling allies, bars, and clubs should be able to decided weather they want to be smoking or non-smoking. I know a lot of businesses have lost a lot of profit due to the smoking ban. This is America, and we should be able to decide where we want to smoke.

Im from Ohio and I love our smoking ban. I enjoy not coughing in restaurants, and breathing in foul smelling smoke. Smokers are in the minority, and we should not have to compromise our health for their addiction. If people choose to smoke, they can smoke outside or in their own homes. The only problem with the smoking ban is that it encourages people to smoke right outside the doorways even though they are not supposed to. This means that you have to go through a cloud of smoke when entering or leaving a building. I also love the ban because children are not exposed to smoke as much. Not allowing smoking inside public buildings sends a message to kids that smoking is bad, so hopefully the number of people smoking will drop.

I'm not sure where you got your facts david, hertledj@email.uc.edu, but they seem to be way off. In fact, if a person smokes a pack a day, they are not spending $3000. Not even around that number. I'll show you the math- 1 pack being $4.00 x 365 = $1460. Half what you say. Now, if a smoker buys cartons that's 36.5 cartons. The average carton is about $35. That math would be $35 x 36.5 = $1277.50. Even if you are buying packs at $5, that only equals $1825. In addition, where are you getting your info for Ireland? And why don't you go ahead a post a link to where you are getting these numbers! 2000 lives are saved due to smoking bans, whose lives? I know of one life that was taken due to a smoking ban. A girl died because she was forced outside of a bar due to a smoking ban. She was raped and murdered at 21. A smoking ban would not have saved the people in the Carolina house fire?, since the bans are for smoking in public buildings. You want smoking to be illegal completely! And you will lie to do it, won't you! You know, I could also throw out some random, made up, numbers to prove my point, but I don't believe in faking data. Show us the proof!

With regards to the individual from Green Bay's whining about the increase in health insurance, that is your own fault. Think about it. If people's insurance prices can be raised because of family histories and other health factors that are out of their control, it is only fair to raise the prices on account of factors that are in the control of the individual. Furthermore, being a smoker, you must realize how much money you spend on cigarettes a year. A person who smokes a pack a day will spend around $3000 a year. Not really chump change.
With regards to the ban, it may seem unconstitutional, but you have to realize that bans are enacted to protect citizens. The US Surgeon General announced that any exposure to second hand smoke is harmful. Surely you agree that a hospital's function is to save lives, not shorten them. By way of these two points, smoking should not be allowed anywhere near a hospital.
Furthermore, smoking bans have been popping up all over Europe lately. One of interest is the ban in Ireland. Ireland is known for smoky pubs, and I think we can all agree on that. Ireland enacted a nationwide ban on smoking, and you know what? The response to the ban has been overwhelmingly positive, even from the pubs. The ban levels the playing field. Profits are up, because now more people can go to any pub, and smokers still have to eat and drink too you know.
Just the other day, a house fire in Carolina killed several people. You know what started that fire? A cigarette. One persons habit cost others their lives. Fires started by cigarettes claim thousands of lives a year (2,193 in 1999), and for you more materialistic, hundreds of millions in property damage as well ($559.1 million in 1999). So if you think smoking is still constitutional, go right ahead. I for one feel that any law that saves 2,000 lives and $500,000,000 a year should have been in place years ago.

I work at a major hospital in the midwest and they are enforcing a
no-smoking ban for all guests, employees and patients on their property.  The
new "health revision" takes effect in two weeks.  I am only reading your
comments and concerns because I am completely obsessed with this topic now.
Smoking VS. Obesity in modern American society.
Before the hospital decided to enforce this bullshit fucking "look at how
healthy we are" code, all of the smokers had a designated area to smoke anyway!
It was along the side of the building, away from all visitors or guests or
entrances.  Oh, did I mention that it's an enclosed glass box!? We were fine
with being treated like fucking lepors, but the complete ban on all hospital
property is infringing on my right to choose what I do, and do not do with my
body.  Maybe I wouldn't complain so much if I could just walk out to my car and
smoke in there...but no, that too, is against policy.  Our health insurance
deductable, per person, is being upped by $1,500 per year, if you are a smoker
and admit to it..."Honesty is the best policy" is their new slogan now that
Health Risk Assessment time is just around the corner.  I am just perplexed at
the idiocy of the administration and anyone who could think this is acceptable.
I completely agree with someone else's comment written e!
arlier, we need to encourage personal responsibility...not enforce it.  Right
on.
Oh, and just a side note...the hospital's Nursing Supervisor, yes, the one
completely in charge of all staff and volunteers, is 200 gross, disgusting,
morbid, flappy, smelly, unfair pounds over weight.

Wow, how about the hypocracy of the state legislature. They have killed the veterans bill that gives them an exemption to the smoking ban, the veterans are the ones that fought for our freedoms and this government got them addicted to cigarettes while they were at war. Now, they can't even smoke in their private club. Another way the government is screwing over our veterans.

I am an employee of the Isle of Capri Casino and would like  to comment of the smoking ban. 1st of all the comment made by Pam Sullivan also an employee of the Isle of Capri stated that tests show that she smokes due to working in a smoking enviroment, she failed to mention that she was also a very heavy smoker up until maybe 18 months ago and that she should be able to work in a safe and healthy environment, well than i suggest that maybe she should consider finding a job else where. It was her CHOICE to work in a casino and she has since they have started gaming. So many jobs will be lost if this goes into effect and the State will lose alot of revenue. The smaller casinos in Black Hawk and Centeral City that have managed to stay open since the beginning might very well have to close due to this ban.Pam is a tipped employee as so am I only in a different department and if she feels that out tips wont be effected by this ignorant ban she is wrong but then again she isnt a single parent so I guess its not a big deal but alot of her fellow blackjack dealers are. By the way I am a smoker but even if I was'nt I would not vote for it and thats because it all comesdown to it being my CHOICE to work at a casino and that it is a smoking enviroment.
Thank you for your time.

Why do you not have the voting records of the representatives and senators on the ban and
related legislation? They should be receiving a deluge of letters and emails.

The argument that smoking is a right is pure stupidity. Smokers have the freedom to smoke.
There exists no right! Prior to the implementation of the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act of 2006,
nonsmokers had a choice concerning whether or not to frequent smoking establishments. Now the
table has turned; smokers now have the choice on whether or not to frequent nonsmoking
establishments. We all know that secondhand smoke is unhealthy to some degree. No thinking
person would disagree with that. Putting that argument aside momentarily, roughly 23% of
Colorado residents smoke. This is clearly the minority of the population. Given this statistic and
my previous analogy regarding a choice to frequent smoking/nonsmoking establishments, one can
logically derive the folowing question: WHY IN THE WORLD SHOULD WE PUT UP WITH A HEALTH
RISK TO APPEASE A MINORITY OF THE STATE POPULATION?! I applaud the actions of our state
legislature. These bar owners need to pull up the! ir bootstraps and accept the new business
challenge by making their establishments attractive and as inconvenient as possible to smokers.

hello, i m writing you from austria, europe. please make well known around you, that 3 anti-ban
movements were born in austria last week.  they want to impose smoking bans in bbars in
restaurnats and we are all fightting  www.raucherbewegung.eu www.rauchfreiheit.at
www.raucherzone.org  than you. cu christine

I just wanted to tell you all That I completely support what you are doing! It does my heart good
to see someone standing up for our rights. Keep it up!

They're trying to get a similar ban here in wisconsin.I've written letters to my state reps.
using the OSHA example among others. I've also asked them to prosecute the four tobacco
companies for conspiracy toraise prices and control market share as outlined in the 1998
Master SettlementAgreement.(http://caag.state.us/tobacco/pdf/1msa.pdf).The states and
the tobaccocompanies have stolen money from us for too long.It's time to hold them
responsable for their crimes

Keep up the good work!

Thank you guys for standing up for our freedom.

Ohio is watching what you are going through and many of us are behind you all the
way. Don't give up. We weekly download articles about your protest and are cheering
you on!