Help With The Ohio Smoking Ban Exemption

When Cigar Jack sent an e-mail out asking for help on spreading the word on this issue I didn’t even have to finish the question before agreeing to do so. One reason of course is because I live in the state of Ohio and another is I will do what I can to help any smoking ban fail.

Why should I do anything?

9News was told the packed house inside Anthony’s Cigar Bar and Grill in West Chester this Friday night was a bit deceiving. “This is what it used to be like,” said Greg Varacalli, a co-owner of the business. That is until the smoking ban went into effect, according to Varacalli. Which meant even cigar bars were suddenly “smoke-free,” and many cigar bar owners were suddenly “profit-free.” “We are down about 60% minimum, maximum 80%,” Varacalli said. “It’s been pretty ugly.”

So what can you do to help? Well if you live in Ohio you can help support the smoking ban exemption S.B. No. 195 by calling your local senators and ask them to support S.B No. 195. This will revised code to allow smoking in cigar bars and in outdoor seating areas of restaurants that are at least 20 feet away from an entrance, exit, or window of the restaurant. Baby steps will get you far. If you do not live in Ohio you can do a little research and find if any bills are in the works for either a new ban or any kind of exemptions. Then get the word out by sending the information to pro-tobacco sites and blogs asking them to mention it. Senator Gary Cates of West Chester is sponsoring the bill.

What can the anti crowd do? Talk to the management of the restaurants and tell them to go smoke free or they will loose your business. Then they can decide what to do, if they choose to keep smoking then go someplace else!

When it comes to smoking bans you have three types of people:

• The loud anti-smoker crowd are just crazy. They want to tell you how to live your life. I put these people in the same group as the crazy left that want the government to do everything for you (including raising your kids) as long as it does not effect them personally. They will be as loud as they can and be the biggest pain in the ass until they get their way (my three year old does this) while the rest of us are at work. I could go on for ever with this one but I have other things to do today …

• People that do not think the government should interfere with private business or personal rights. Pretty straight forward here. Stay out of my business! Stay out of my family life! I do not need the village, I have my wife to help me.

• People who just don’t care is the main reason (I think) these bans pass. These are the uninformed people that 1. do not stay up on current events and are persuaded easily by all the negative commercials. 2. the type of person that does not smoke and thinks “why should I not for a ban”. These people are not the crazies from above, they just do not realize that it may not effect them personally but a freedom will be lost when the ban goes through. But hey it doesn’t effect me. 3. The person that doesn’t vote, especially the smoker. These people drive me crazy, I don’t want to hear you bitching about it if you didn’t vote. Being lazy is no excuse not to vote and/or not knowing what you are voting on. Don’t be this person!

Let the flaming begin……..