State issues nine smoking-ban violation notices
State tobacco officials have been inundated with phone calls
By Meagan Sexton Journal staff writer | Posted: Wednesday, July 09, 2008
The Iowa Department of Public Health said Tuesday it has issued nine violation notices in the week since the statewide smoking ban took effect.
Businesses are allowed two notices or warning letters in 12 months before law enforcement is called in to enforce the ban, which prohibits smoking in nearly all public places.
People can report violations on the department's Web site or by phone.
Bonnie Mapes, director of the health department's Division of Tobacco Use, Prevention and Control, said the department has received about 500 phone calls since last Thursday, two days after the ban went into effect July 1. She said about 20 percent of the calls are complaints and must be verified.
Some people misunderstand the law, Mapes said. For instance, her office has had complaints about smoking outside windows, which doesn't constitute breaking the law.
Meanwhile, tobacco prevention coordinators for the Northwest Iowa Tobacco Free Coalition are working to educate and inform businesses about how to comply with the law and make the ban as positive as possible, coordinator Cheryl Buntsma said.
Among other requirements, businesses must post a no-smoking sign at each entrance, and some businesses decided to go above and beyond the mandate by ordering customized signs, according to Rick Schorg, owner of Sign Pro on Floyd Boulevard in Sioux City. He said his company has sold hundreds of no-smoking signs and decals in the past few weeks.
The health department has no-smoking signs that can be downloaded for free and printed out at http://iowasmokefreeair.gov
Mapes said the agency sent 14,500 mailers to every food license holder in the state. Each mailer included an informational brochure about the new law, a no-smoking sign on cardstock and information about businesses' responsibilities.
Doug Potts, owner of Signs By Tomorrow on Southern Hills Drive in Sioux City, said the state isn't really providing signs for businesses. He believes the Web site download isn't enough.
"You end up with a piece of paper," Potts said. "What do you do with a piece of paper? It's a suggested layout."
Rebos Restaurant got its signs from the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce. Dan Gilbert, manager at Rebos, said customers haven't really complained and the business hasn't had any problems with compliance.
The chamber distributed two signs to each of its 1,100 members. If members needed additional signs, the organization charged a $1.
"We felt it was a service to our membership," said Debi Durham, chamber president.
Businesses are allowed two notices or warning letters in 12 months before law enforcement is called in to enforce the ban, which prohibits smoking in nearly all public places.
People can report violations on the department's Web site or by phone.
Bonnie Mapes, director of the health department's Division of Tobacco Use, Prevention and Control, said the department has received about 500 phone calls since last Thursday, two days after the ban went into effect July 1. She said about 20 percent of the calls are complaints and must be verified.
Some people misunderstand the law, Mapes said. For instance, her office has had complaints about smoking outside windows, which doesn't constitute breaking the law.
Meanwhile, tobacco prevention coordinators for the Northwest Iowa Tobacco Free Coalition are working to educate and inform businesses about how to comply with the law and make the ban as positive as possible, coordinator Cheryl Buntsma said.
Among other requirements, businesses must post a no-smoking sign at each entrance, and some businesses decided to go above and beyond the mandate by ordering customized signs, according to Rick Schorg, owner of Sign Pro on Floyd Boulevard in Sioux City. He said his company has sold hundreds of no-smoking signs and decals in the past few weeks.
The health department has no-smoking signs that can be downloaded for free and printed out at http://iowasmokefreeair.gov
Mapes said the agency sent 14,500 mailers to every food license holder in the state. Each mailer included an informational brochure about the new law, a no-smoking sign on cardstock and information about businesses' responsibilities.
Doug Potts, owner of Signs By Tomorrow on Southern Hills Drive in Sioux City, said the state isn't really providing signs for businesses. He believes the Web site download isn't enough.
"You end up with a piece of paper," Potts said. "What do you do with a piece of paper? It's a suggested layout."
Rebos Restaurant got its signs from the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce. Dan Gilbert, manager at Rebos, said customers haven't really complained and the business hasn't had any problems with compliance.
The chamber distributed two signs to each of its 1,100 members. If members needed additional signs, the organization charged a $1.
"We felt it was a service to our membership," said Debi Durham, chamber president.
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Diogenes wrote on Jul 16, 2008 1:10 AM:
X-SSC wrote on Jul 14, 2008 12:17 PM:
Diogenes wrote on Jul 12, 2008 1:55 PM:
Your example about overweight people being banned from eating fatty food is an unrelated question in that their eating does not pose a health problem for those around them.
As to your question about vehicles that emit toxic exhaust--has it not occurred to you that toxic exhaust from a vehicle and toxic exhaust in a building are not the same thing? Additionally, you have surely noticed there are restrictions regarding the amount emission of pollutants from vehicles. "
Cal wrote on Jul 10, 2008 1:02 AM:
Sic Semper Tyrannis "
matt wrote on Jul 9, 2008 11:05 PM: