Local Media Gets It

The local print media gets the fact that Indiana and Indianapolis needs to pass a smoke free air law this session or very soon for the health of all workers. So why doesn't the state legislature or our local elected officials get it? Yesterday the Indianapolis Star had an editorial requesting that the state legislature listen to Indiana citizens who want a strong smoke free air law and not to those lobbying on behalf of casinos, bars and big tobacco. This week the Indianapolis Business Journal has an editorial urging Mayor Ballard to stand up and support the effort to make Indianapolis completely smoke free. Bruce Hetrick also has a wonderful opinion piece on the exemption for casinos in HB 1018, the proposed smoke free air bill.

Thanks to the Star, the IBJ and Bruce Hetrick for getting the fact that we are falling behind the rest of the country by not passing a comprehensive smoke free air law that protects our workers from secondhand smoke.

Hopefully this will be the year that the state legislature listens to this sound advice by passing a strong smoke free air law. If they do not pass a law this year than lets hope a watered down version does not get passed and we try again in 2012.