Oakland Co. doesn’t plan to enforce smoking ban

[pontiac4ever]

PONTIAC, Mich. [[AP) — Oakland County says it doesn’t plan to enforce Michigan’s smoking ban that’s set to take effect May 1.

County executive L. Brooks Patterson told WJBK-TV he’ll sue over the smoking ban next week. Patterson says the law amounts to an “unfunded mandate� if county health departments must oversee and enforce the ban.

Patterson says the county doesn’t have the resources to enforce the ban.

James McCurtis, a spokesman for the Michigan Department of Community Health, said Thursday that the agency will enforce the ban in non-restaurant settings in Oakland County and for some other local health departments.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm in December signed the smoking ban into law to make most work places, restaurants and bars smoke-free.
http://www.theoaklandpress.com/artic...4639399433.txt

[gibran]

when the smoking ban was enacted in Fayetteville Arkansas and enforced many food and bar owners complained that they would lose business; and the opposite happened...an enjoyable meal without smoke followed by a night of listening to some blues and having a beer without having to change your clothes...people who smoke have rights too...but when they infringe on nonsmokers and it is a health related issue, their rights can stand for a little inconvenience of leaving the building and going to a smokers area...I would hate to be in the sixties when people smoked in offcies...I am afraid I would have said something...

[Diehard]

There's another thread over on the Detroit side about this.

[pontiac4ever]

I just saw it diehard. When i used to post things about my area over there it would get moved here so i just thought the same would happen with this thread.

@gibran i don't think this is a smokers rights issue i think it's a property owners issue. Some bars and restaurants have banned smoking years ago and it's worked out for them. Most have not and it's worked out for them.

[Retroit]

Patterson says the law amounts to an “unfunded mandate� if county health departments must oversee and enforce the ban.

Patterson says the county doesn’t have the resources to enforce the ban.

It's not unfunded if you fine restaurant owners for allowing smoking. If you can enforce other laws you can enforce this law.

Patterson must be a smoker. This is one of the best laws passed in recent years.

[East Detroit]

He already back-pedaled on this.

[jerrytimes]

He should sue. It's illegal to tell business owners what they are allowed to have in their business. Smoking is legal, flat out. Driving a car is more dangerous than smoking, yet we are still allowed to drive.

[Jimaz]

... It's illegal to tell business owners what they are allowed to have in their business....

Oh, really?

[Diehard]

He should sue. It's illegal to tell business owners what they are allowed to have in their business. Smoking is legal, flat out. Driving a car is more dangerous than smoking, yet we are still allowed to drive.

Your red herrings and straw man arguments were tedious and silly even back when there was an actual debate about this.
It's over. It's the law. It's not going to change, no matter how much the pissed-off smokers whine. Get used to it.

[ferntruth]

Your red herrings and straw man arguments were tedious and silly even back when there was an actual debate about this.
It's over. It's the law. It's not going to change, no matter how much the pissed-off smokers whine. Get used to it.

Thank You!!

It's amazing the level of whining I'm hearing from smokers over this. One would think that everyone was able to smoke anywhere, anytime prior to this restriction [[not a ban) passing.

Smokers are free to commit slow acting suicide, just don't do it around others and make it slow action HOMICIDE.