Issue 5 is a vote for a healthier society

The intentionally misnamed Issue 4 -- SmokeLess Ohio, is a tobacco company con that will actually increase smoking exposure. If it passes it will override existing locally voted restrictions and, because it is a constitutional amendment, will trump Issue 5 -- the real anti-smoking issue on the ballot.

Let’s stop kidding ourselves, smoking is bad for you and it’s bad for me if I happen to be standing down haze from you. The Surgeon General says so, the health care statistics bear it out and rising health care costs hurt everybody. Knowing all that, why wouldn’t we want to reduce the exposure?

People say Issue 5 is an attack on the “rights” of smokers. They say smoking is legal and therefore the state shouldn’t tell us we can’t do it. It is legal; it’s just stupid and dangerous, to me, not just you. It’s not discriminating against anybody to tell them to keep their bad habits to themselves.

I say vote "No" on Issue 4 and “Yes” on Issue 5.