Jump to full article: Appleton (WI) Post-Crescent, 2008-04-13
Intro: Public sentiment in Wisconsin is building for a statewide workplace smoking ban and, despite no law on the books yet, it's a breath of fresh air.
Sixty-nine percent of Wisconsin voters surveyed in March support a ban, compared with 64 percent of those surveyed a year ago. Also interesting to note, fewer smokers oppose the workplace law -- 49 percent, compared with 64 percent surveyed last year. . . .
New England, which has many smoking bans in place, is the only area in the survey that didn't see a jump in OWI fatalities.
Back here in Wisconsin, the smoking-ban debate is shifting more into the public health issue that it is. About the same time that Wieckert introduced legislation to enact a smoking ban, the state Department of Health and Family Services launched a $300,000 media campaign supporting such a law.
It's our hope that Wisconsin lawmakers will soon -- whether in January when they return or in a special session before then -- take a courageous step to pass a statewide workplace smoking ban to protect the health of our residents and provide parity for our businesses.
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