Tobacco.org

EDITORIAL: Good idea, but ...  

In the firm belief that what is good for Ashland is good for all of Boyd County, the Boyd County Smoke-Free Initiative has used the occasion of the annual Great American Smokeout to launch a campaign that they hope will lead to the Boyd County Fiscal Court and the Catlettsburg City Council to follow the Ashland Board of City Commissioner's lead by enacting ordinances to ban smoking in restaurants and most other public places.

While our support for Ashland's ordinance limiting smoking in public was somewhat less than enthusiastic, we would wholeheartedly support ordinances imposing similar restrictions on smoking in Catlettsburg and the unincorporated parts of Boyd County. That's because the impact of Ashland's ordinance has been positive. The worst fears of opponents have not been realized. If any restaurant or business has gone out of business because of the Ashland ordinance, we are not aware of it. The restaurants continue to be crowded. Indeed, we would wager that the recession has had a far greater impact on business than the smoking restrictions. . . .

Frankly, we expect it will be a least 2011 -- if then -- before either the Catlettsburg council or the fiscal court approve a smoking ban, but we commend the Boyd County Smoke-Free Initiative for boldly advancing the idea. That's the first step. Let the debate begin.

Meanwhile, it would help the cause if other area cities -- Russell, Grayson, Greenup, etc. -- would restrict smoking in public. An impossible dream? Probably, but you never know until you try.

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