Taking Anti-Tobacco to the People
Filed by Michael Cross in Health, Local News, News, Politics.
February 19, 2013
Governor Fallin is joining with anti-smoking groups to create an initiative petition for voters in 2014 to reduce second hand smoke in Oklahoma.
This comes after Senate Bill 36 to give local control of tobacco laws failed in committee.
In a packed room of nearly 200 people, Governor Fallin announced the petition which could be similar to SB 36 for local control of tobacco and some have even suggested a statewide ban on smoking in public places.
Fallin says this is personal after both of her parents started smoking at early ages and succumbed to tobacco related illnesses.
“My father died when he was younger than me. He died before I got married. He died before I ever ran for political office. He never got to see that. My mother became very ill at the age of 73 with heart disease.”
She says a website called DontSmokeOnMe.com has been launched to inform people of the petition.
Oklahoma ranks 4th in smokers and six-thousand people die every year from tobacco related illnesses.
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