Ban will go up in smoke in Portage

[johnnie]

"County's health department says it doesn't have enough manpower for enforcement, needs new levy
By Tracy Wheeler
Beacon Journal medical writer

The statewide ban on public smoking will take effect May 3.

At least it's supposed to.

In Portage County, though, the question is: Who's going to enforce it?

In nearly every Ohio county and city, the job of enforcement will fall to the local health department. But Portage County Health Commissioner DuWayne Porter said his department simply doesn't have the money to do that job.

``We haven't passed a levy since 1955,'' he said. ``Our financials and staffing are such that we can't afford an unfunded state program, even for the most important public health program to come along in my career of 30 years.''

So once enforcement of the the voter-approved law begins, Porter will send a letter to the Ohio Department of Health, saying that the Portage County Health Department will be unable to enforce it."

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/living/health/17107854.htm?source=yahoodist&content=ohi_news


Maybe they can make all the people who voted for it pay :shrug:

[Dr.Phool]

1. Put a tax on cigarettes to pay for it.

:sarcasm:

[johnnie]

2. .

:spray:

Now THAT was funny.

[Epiphany4z]

3. I live in portage

there really doesn't seem to be much need to enforce it people are already not smoking inside of places.

[Deep13]

5. Kind of suggests that enforcement won't cost too much.

:shrug:

[Deep13]

4. What a lot of crap!

What other laws won't be enforced because of supposed budget constraints? Sorry, we just don't have the resources to be sure our offices are free from discrimination. We just don't have the police manpower to enforce misdemeanor domestic violence laws.

Do your jobs and stop trying to score points with the local knuckle draggers. The voters chose strict enforcement over lax enforcement or no change. That's democracy. Deal with it.

[GOTV]

6. It's supposed to be handled as a health code violation...

... are they saying they don't have the manpower to enforce the health code?