Y-town board opposes change to smoking ban

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'I'm guessing anything could be made into a private club,' the health commissioner said.

By WILLIAM K. ALCORN

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — The Youngstown City Health District Board is sending a letter to the Ohio Department of Health urging strict enforcement of Ohio's new indoor smoking ban and opposing exemption of private clubs.

The board voted unanimously to send the letter at its meeting Monday after Health Commissioner Neil Altman said it was "very frustrating" to have the law changed from what the voters approved.

Voters approved a statewide law last November that bans smoking in most public indoor locations, including restaurants, bars and private clubs that have employees.

While enforcement rules were being developed, however, private club interests, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars, successfully lobbied for exemption.

According to the ODH, proposed smoking ban enforcement rules would exempt private organizations under certain circumstances.

Draft rules

The latest draft rules say that private club members who provide services for the club, regardless of whether they are paid, are not considered employees. Therefore, private clubs that have only members providing services and meet other requirements in the law are exempt.

Among the other requirements are that no one under 18 and only members are present, and that the club is nonprofit and located in a free-standing building.

"I'm guessing anything could be made into a private club" to circumvent the law, Altman said.

The health commissioner said the state has allocated $2,900 to the city health district to conduct a smoking ban program in the city through June. That is not enough money to hire anybody, but the department could use the funds to buy literature and 'no smoking' signs for distribution, he said.

alcorn@vindy.com

Tuesday, April 3, 2007