ALBION — A Lyndonville man objects to a proposed smoking ban on county owned property.
Nonsmoker Paul Lauricello believes the would-be policy is yet another infringement on a citizen’s personal freedoms, he told the Orleans County Legislature on Wednesday. He is calling on county officials to make alternative arrangements for employees and residents who smoke.
“Find a place for these smokers to go,” he said. “They’re treated as second-hand citizens as it is.”
Republican Legislator George Bower is making the push for the smoking ban as chairman of the health committee. The policy is already in place at the area’s schools and hospitals. Bower said at the June 25 meeting that Orleans should follow suit as an example for other counties. Members of the health department also support the idea.
The state has done its part in deterring cigarette use with the recent increase in sales tax, Bower said. A ban on county property could push individuals to stop smoking, thereby improving their health, he said. An estimated 30 percent of cancer deaths are caused by tobacco usage, he said.
“I really believe this county should be smoke-free,” Bower said. “It’s not something we like to do — to take rights away. ... (But) I think it’s time we did this.”
Lauricello said he questions whether second-hand smoke is actually harmful, based on a controversial study published recently by Chicago’s Heartland Institute, a non-profit organization with a focus on global warming and tobacco policy debates. Some agencies, including Americans for Nonsmokers Rights, accuse the Heartland Institute of partnering with the tobacco industry.
The American Lung Association maintains that second-hand smoke is deadly, causing 3,400 lung cancer deaths and 22,700 to 69,600 heart disease deaths in adult nonsmokers in the United States each year. It is considered equally harmful in children. The association says second-hand smoke may be a contributing factor in sudden instant death syndrome, lower respiratory tract infections in infants under 18 months, build-up of fluid in the middle ear and aggravated asthma symptoms.
Twenty-one million children — 35 percent of all youth — live in homes where family members or visitors smoke on a regular basis.
Past efforts by the state to protect residents from second-hand smoke include the 2003 law banning smoking in certain public places, including most restaurants.
Lauricello said if the proposed Orleans County smoking ban is truly about the health of residents, the county should ban the sale of all tobacco products.
He said government’s control over every aspect of a resident’s life need to stop.
“Do a little bit of research and take a look at both sides of the issue,” he told the Legislature. “There’s got to be a better way.”
Contact reporter Nicole Coleman at 798-1400, ext. 8227.
Local News
SMOKING BAN: Fuming over smoke ban plan
- Local News
-
-
Hospice residence construction continues
The construction of the new Martin-Linsin Hospice Residence, which is now well under way just behind the Hospice of Orleans office building on Route 31 in Albion, will allow Hospice to provide care and assistance for those patients and their families.
-
Library construction, fundraising hit milestones
The project to build a new library in Albion is seeing a lot of green — both in the foam insulation that is being added at the South Main Street construction site and in Swan Library’s fundraising effort.
-
Albion plans for summer
Village officials heard details about this summer’s Albion Strawberry Festival and another big event that could bring visitors back to the village later in the summer — if concerns about street usage are cleared up — during Wednesday’s board meeting.
-
Theater impact grant formally announced
The National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks, has awarded the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor a 2012 Impact Grant to support the launch of the Theatre on Main Street project in Albion in collaboration with the Albion Main Street Alliance and the Western Erie Canal Alliance.
-
Inter-county collaboration
The Orleans County Legislature finalized a formal alliance with their Niagara County counterparts Wed-nesday, a move leaders from both counties said will lead to reduced costs and increased services.
-
County management salary increases discussed
County Legislators will vote later this month on a local law that affects the 2012 salaries and benefits of nine county officials, with a net impact of adding $4,723 in payments.
-
Drug court graduates four
Four participants in the Orleans County Drug Court received cheers Monday for completing the intensive, three-stage program.
-
Albion CSD budget coming to view
The Albion Central School District’s 2012-13 budget is coming into clearer view, and school officials say the picture is better than at this point last year.
-
Medina student is Sabres Jr. Reporter
The Buffalo Sabres have faced many difficult questions during what has so far been a disappointing season, but it was all smiles when Oak Orchard Elementary School student Melanie Hibbard came to First Niagara Center to watch practice and interview players for a feature that will air later this month.
-
Group aims to honor Laughlin
The Medina Mustangs could play their next football game on a field named for longtime coach John “Pinky” Loughlin if the Medina School Board approves a proposal made Tuesday by the Parents Athletic Club.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Raw Video: Greek Rioting Ahead of Austerity Vote
Raw Video: Child Rescued After Kosovo Avalanche
Pop Music Superstar Whitney Houston Dies at 48
Whitney Houston's Church Mourns Her Passing
Reaction to Houston's Death at Clive Davis Party
79 Turtles Seized at Shanghai Airport
Severe Cold Wreaks Havoc in China
Fuel Removal Under Way on Capsized Italian Ship
Police: Houston Found Dead in Her Hotel Room
Paul Suffers Narrow Loss to Romney in Maine
Palin Brings Anti-Washington Message to CPAC
Obama Scraps Birth Control Mandate
Navy Names Ship for Gabrielle Giffords
Uzbek Man Pleads Guilty in Plot to Kill Obama
Marines: No Punishment for Nazi-like Flag
Vets Look to Translate Military Skills Into Jobs
Raw Video: School Bus Burst Into Flames
Pentagon: Allow Women Closer to Front Lines
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
