Smoking ban in Ohio - Private clubs are among the state's worst offenders

[The Straight Story]

.....

Private clubs are among the state's worst offenders, according to a Dayton Daily News analysis of the state smoking complaint data. Of the top 10 targets of smoking complaints in the state, eight are private clubs. And members of the Moose and Eagles lodges, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion and Amvets call in nearly a quarter of all smoking ban violation complaints.

The Loyal Order of Moose Lodge 501 in Middletown in southwestern Ohio received the largest number of complaints from disgruntled patrons: 183. The next biggest offender is an Eagles lodge in Toledo that has collected 108.

"We've got to be setting some kind of a record or something," said Jerry Gabbard, the Middletown Moose lodge administrator.

Gabbard, a smoker, says the lodge no longer allows smoking inside, but health officials are skeptical and complaint data from the Ohio Department of Health show that the club provoked 59 complaints in November.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OH_SMOKING_BAN_CRACKDOWN_OHOL-?SITE=WBNSTV&SECTION=HOME

[karlrschneider]

1. Looks like they're just not quite private -enough-

:eyes:

[panader0]

2. Az passed the smoking ban

but it does not apply to private clubs, only public establishments. Some of the local bars, hit hard by the smoking ban, are considering making themselves into private clubs charging a small annual or even daily fee. At one place in particular, every patron was a smoker. They almost shut down. I can easily understand a ban in restaurants, hospitals, offices, markets and the like, but in saloons?
It's like banning R rated movies, if the content offends you, don't go to see it.

[Hippo_Tron]

3. IMO it's about workers' right to a safe working environment

I could care less about customers. They can take their business elsewhere if they don't like smoke.

I favor the ban in restaurants because I think that wait staff have a right to a safe working environment. I'd say the same for bars, but I'm starting to think that it's totally impractical.

[dbackjon]

4. I love and support the AZ Smoking ban

Just because I want to go to a bar with friends doesn't mean that I want to breathe in your toxic emissions.

Many of the clubs I go to are BUSIER since the smoking ban took effect - people that stayed away from the smoke are going back out.

[The Straight Story]

5. That's why I favor choice

If there is a big business in non-smoking bars, then people should open them.

[High Plains]

6. But why must there be a government-imposed ban?

I would think the economic power of you and your fellow non-smoking drinkers would impel bar owners to open up non-smoking bars to accomodate you.

Why can't you just let some bar owners allow smoking?

[dbackjon]

7. Answer to both...

Most bar owners are stuck in the "only smokers drink" mentality. The occasional "kick to the butt" is sometimes needed to drag these places into the 21st century.

By what criteria would you allow some bar owners to allow smoking? A lottery? First-come, first-served?

Maybe we could allow it if everyone involved agreed to pay 100% of the smoking related health-costs they incur in the future - sign a binding agreement that they will never use any government-funded health care (like Medicare, Medicaid) in the future.

Bottom Line - smoking is hazardous to everyone's health. If you want to do it in the privacy of your own home - it is your death. Leave the rest of us to breathe cleaner air.

[The Straight Story]

8. Simple - for every smoking bar opened in X radius, there has to be a non-smoking one

Control the licensing.

[americanstranger]

12. That will never happen...

...simply because it makes too much sense.

- as

[High Plains]

9. Dude, don't go to the smoking bars!

If you don't want to breathe cigarette smoke, that is.

Are you in every goddamned bar in the country?

[dbackjon]

10. There is always one godmamned smoker that insists on smoking everywhere

Why should I be limited where I go because of rude, inconsiderate people? If you want to smoke, you are free to do so in private. But keep your butts out of my clean air. Really, fucking simple.

[alarimer]

11. Here it was not a government-imposed ban

We voted it in but an overwhelming margin. The pro-smoking crowd forced it onto the ballot and they had their asses handed to them. This ban was for restaurants. But I am sure one of these days we will ban smoking in bars. I can only hope so anyway.

The government has the right to regulate air quality indoors, the same way they have the right to regulate other working conditions and health standards (rats and bugs are violations, even in bars).

[JesterCS]

13. hehe

im about 4 miles from that Moose Lodge. they were also my sponsor for softball when i was like 12.

Alot of private clubs. such as veterans clubs are letting patrons smoke. Amvets Post 2 in Hamilton, Ohio just puts out empty beer and pop cans for ashtrays.

[sandnsea]

14. Private clubs should be exempt

You ought to be able to open a smoking club if you want to, for that matter. The only reason they're demonizing smoking is because they want to tax it. Many busy intersections have carcinogens higher than in a smoking establishment, especially if they put in a good filtration system. Most buildings could stand to have better filtration to help with allergies and cancers, funny none of the nonsmokers are pitching a fit over it. Nobody told them to, that's why. Talk about sheeple.