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Regarding "Activists target smoking loopholes" (news story, Oct. 30): Oklahoma bar and restaurant owners act as if our state would be the first and only one to go smoke-free in public venues. Far from it. If Jim Hopper, president of the Oklahoma Restaurant Association, wants to eliminate his members' concerns about losing business if a smoking ban is enacted, he should contact any other restaurant association president in a state with a similar ban. He'd learn that profits at a majority of restaurants have actually increased.
The New York Times archives include articles printed before New York City's ban was enacted. Get the names of all the interviewed restaurant owners who were worried about their restaurant's potential profit losses. Call those same owners today and ask them how their profits are doing since the ban. Do your homework. And when your post-ban profits increase, remember to thank the groups that pushed for the ban.
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Based on a major new report issued by the Institute of Medicine that concludes avoiding exposure to tobacco smoke reduces heart attack deaths, the Oklahoma State Department of Health is warning Oklahomans with heart disease or with elevated risk for heart disease to avoid places where smoking is allowed indoors.
"The Institute of Medicine points out that even relatively brief exposures to tobacco smoke have adverse effects on the heart and cardiovascular system and that these effects can contribute to heart attacks and deaths," said State Health Commissioner Dr. Terry Cline. "About 700 deaths each year in Oklahoma are attributable to secondhand smoke exposure, and the majority of these deaths are from heart attacks and cardiovascular disease."
Anti-smoking proponents say they will push once again for legislation to close loopholes in state law that permit smoking in some bars and restaurants.
The intent is to protect workers from the health effects of secondhand smoke, representatives of the American Heart Association and the state Health Department said.
On Thursday proponents said they would seek legislation similar to a bill that died in the Oklahoma House this year.
The bill would remove exemptions to anti-smoking legislation approved in 2003. The exemptions allow smoking in stand-alone bars and in separately-ventilated smoking rooms in restaurants. . . .
Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death and disease, said Dr. Alan Blum, a family medicine professor at the University of Alabama and director of the Center for the Study of Tobacco and Society.
Blum said restaurant groups that oppose bans are influenced by tobacco companies that want to protect their profits.
"Basically, it's about health over money," Blum said.
Anti-smoking proponents say they will try again to pass legislation that closes loopholes in state law that allow smoking in some bars and restaurants.
The intent is to protect workers from the health effects of secondhand smoke, representatives of the American Heart Association and the state Health Department said. On Thursday, they said they would seek legislation similar to a bill that died in the Oklahoma House this year.
The bill would remove exemptions to anti-smoking legislation approved in 2003. The exemptions allow smoking in stand-alone bars and in separately-ventilated smoking rooms in restaurants.
Anti-smoking advocates called on lawmakers Thursday to make bars and restaurants in Oklahoma smoke-free by closing loopholes in the state law restricting smoking in public places.
Officials from the American Heart Association and the state Department of Health said they will support legislation next year to ban smoking in bars and restaurants, similar to a bill that died in the Oklahoma House last spring.
Oklahoma was among the first states in the nation to regulate smoking in public places in 2003. But the legislation allows smoking in separate smoking rooms in restaurants and stand-alone bars. When the bill died in the House last spring, Rep. John Trebilcock, R-Broken Arrow, chairman of the House Public Health Committee, said he was not inclined to give it a hearing because of the investment restaurants had made to comply with state smoking restrictions.
Since Oklahoma's law went into effect, 27 other states have adopted comprehensive smoke-free laws that ban smoking in public places, said Marilyn Davidson, government relations director for the American Heart Association in Oklahoma City.
It is easy to get caught up in the anti-smoking movement and assume that smokers in the workplace have no protection. However, that assumption would be a mistake, especially in Oklahoma.
Interestingly, in Oklahoma those who choose to use tobacco products do have certain rights conferred upon them by the Oklahoma Legislature. Specifically, 40 O.S. §500 states that “It shall be unlawful for an employer to: (1) discharge any individual, or otherwise disadvantage any individual, with respect to compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment because the individual is a nonsmoker or smokes or uses tobacco products during non-working hours; or (2) require as a condition of employment that any employee or applicant for employment abstain from smoking or using tobacco products during nonworking hours.”
This statutory language means that while Oklahoma employers can establish anti-smoking rules, they cannot hold it against employees who choose to use tobacco during nonwork hours or on noncompany property. So, refusing to hire an applicant because he or she smokes is prohibited. Likewise, taking an adverse action against an existing employee because it is learned he or she smokes is prohibited.
Where it really gets tricky is with anti-smoking campaigns by employers that encourage and incentivize employees to quit smoking. . . .
Bottom line, the anti-smoking movement is here to stay and efforts by Oklahoma employers to void their workplaces of tobacco use are largely supported. However, you would do well to remember that smoking employees in Oklahoma are not without any rights
Edmond's Parks and Recreation Department is drafting an ordinance to ban smoking at sports fields and around children's play areas at parks.
The city of Norman made a decision to ban smoking at parks earlier this year.
Some argue that allowing smoking near children playing in our parks exposes them to secondhand smoke. A smoker might say fatty, sweet treats available at children's sporting events are doing just as much damage.
If approved, the ban would not restrict smoking in nonplay areas of Edmond parks.
Several area Indian smoke shops are selling cigarettes without a new kind of fire-safety paper required by legislation enacted last year, a Tulsa World investigation shows.
The World bought several packs of discount-brand cigarettes at smoke shops in Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Sapulpa and Beggs. A new state law requires cigarettes to be wrapped in fire-safe paper, beginning Jan. 1, 2009, said Paula Ross, spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Tax Commission.
To delay the law's effect, several area smoke shops appear to be selling old inventory bought before the law took effect about 10 months ago. The law allows retailers to sell old inventory until Jan. 1, 2010.
"Our plan for after January 1, 2010, is to contact the fire marshal's office if nonfire-safe cigarettes are found during a routine compliance check," Ross said.
Earlier this year, the City of Norman made a decision to ban smoking at area parks. Now another city is considering the same thing. Edmond's Parks and Recreation Department is working to draft an ordinance which would ban smoking at local sports fields and near the children's play areas at local parks.
Jim Bowlin, Director of Parks and Recreation in Edmond, says, "We'd like to create a more healthy environment for our citizens and set a better example for our youth."
The Oklahoma Tax Commission is missing out on more than $1 million a month in tax collections by refusing to strongly enforce state tobacco tax laws, an Oklahoma City wholesaler has alleged.
"Legitimate distributors are being forced out of business," said tobacco wholesaler Alan Beck, who operates a wholesale business at 2305 S Agnew Ave.
Beck said he has complained to Tax Commission officials for more than four years about the "blatantly illegal" sale of untaxed tobacco products by a few dishonest Oklahoma wholesale operators.
Beck said he has repeatedly provided the Tax Commission with the names of businesses committing tax fraud, explained how their schemes work and told authorities how tax auditors can document the illegal conduct. . . .
A northeastern Oklahoma wholesaler said he sometimes wonders if certain illegal wholesalers are being protected.
Beck said he is aware of one large wholesaler who had his license revoked but said a relative just took over the operation. , , ,
Dishonest wholesalers, however, are buying cigarettes from importers and other sources, then selling the unstamped cigarettes to retailers for cash at discount prices, he said. The retailers then sell the unstamped packs to regular customers or to customers who come in at night or on weekends when store owners don't think enforcement officers are working, he said.
Welch said enforcement officers sometimes work on nights and weekends to try to thwart such schemes and have an array of other investigative techniques they also use.
Beck said fraud is even more rampant on other tobacco products such as cigars, snuff and chewing tobacco because there is no tax stamp system for those products to help monitor compliance.
The state Supreme Court has issued a ruling that would allow the state to collect higher taxes on cigarettes sold by Osage Nation tobacco stores.
However, the Oklahoma Tax Commission said Monday that it already has a new deal with the Osage Nation requiring it to pay a tax of 66 cents per pack.
The state tax on cigarettes is $1.03, but tribal stores pay lower rates, ranging from 6 cents per pack for those along Oklahoma’s borders to 86 cents per pack for some tribes. The state had wanted to charge the Osage Nation 86 cents per pack, but the tribe argued that it should be paying much less.
A new law could mean the end of smoking within public housing in Stillwater.
Congress passed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act earlier this year, and President Barack Obama signed the bill this summer.
Stillwater Public Housing Authority Executive Director L. Glen Redding said he will draft a revised policy for review and vote by the authority no later than February. The updated policy could go into affect as early as March, he said.
The authority has banned smoking in public housing common areas since 1985, he said, and this proposal would extend the ban to individual homes.
WICHITA, Kan. -- A federal judge has tossed out key evidence in the case against a Kansas tobacco wholesaler and his business associates who are accused of trying to avoid paying $25 million in cigarette taxes to Oklahoma and Indian tribes.
U.S. District Judge Monti Belot ruled Thursday that a Kansas Highway Patrol officer had no reason to suspect that the driver of a U-Haul van that was found to be loaded with cigarettes was violating any laws, and the search was therefore illegal.
"The officer testified that he was curious, and that does not rise to the level required by the Constitution," said Jack Focht, the attorney representing the driver of the van, Danny Davis.
It is unclear what impact the barred evidence will have on the prosecution's case.
The state Supreme Court has dismissed an injunction had barred state collection of cigarette taxes from tobacco stores licensed by the Osage Nation.
Justices last week ruled that a lower court didn't have jurisdiction to stop the Oklahoma Tax Commission from collecting 86 cents per pack from the tribe's licensed tobacco retailers.
The justices noted that a tobacco compact between the parties required any disputes be resolved through binding arbitration.
Jackson County Commissioners held their regular meeting on at 10 a.m. Tuesday in the Commissioners’ Office in the Jackson County Courthouse. The minutes for the Sept. 14, Sept. 21, and Sept. 29 meetings , reports and blanket purchase orders were all approved.
The Jackson County Treasurer, Janet S. Wright introduced an item for consideration. This was the reinvestment or liquidation of a $500,000 certificate of deposit (CD) that was due on Sept. 30. With interest rates low everywhere right now, the commissioners voted to keep the money invested in a local bank, in a CD with an interest of rate of 1.1%. These funds are for the Sales Tax Revolving Fund.
Holly Grace Campbell, director of ACMI House was ill so Rick Crouch, public relations coordinator of Southwest Oklahoma Community Action Group, Inc. (SOCAG) was present to give information on the client-load of ACMI House. He said that ACMI house holds between 10-13 females and it is almost always full. Males in need of housing for domestic abuse are provided temporary housing in motel rooms. Domestic abuse, according to Crouch, is a much bigger problem than he thought it was.
In light of the serious nature of domestic violence, the commissioners approved a proclamation for “Domestic Violence Awareness Month” be recognized in October.