Ind. smoking ban bill dies

Publication Date: 2010-03-15

• Author:Jessica Hayes
• Publication:WTHI-TV (Terre Haute, IN)

The Illinois smoking ban has been in effect since 2008. Ohio's ban has been in effect since 2006. But after several attempts, Indiana hasn't passed it's own ban.

Indiana's most recent proposal made it through the Indiana House but didn't even get a hearing in the Senate.

Some feel the language in the House version was too lenient, a smoking bill that didn't really ban smoking.

One such group is CHANCES for Indiana Youth, a healthy living organization.

"It came out of the House laden with loopholes that were the size of a Mack Truck," said CHANCES representative Carrie Evans. "It would not have really done us any good. It exempted all kinds of different venues. It didn't protect all workers. What makes a person in an office building more important and more worthy of protection than a person that works in a bar?"

Indiana State Senator Tim Skinner said he expects another smoking ban proposal to be introduced next year.