As Wisconsin lawmakers again prepare to grapple with the contentious issue of a statewide smoking ban, Minnesota’s ban has been in place for nearly a year and a half.
McGuire says much of the opposition to a statewide ban in Wisconsin has a familiar ring. “Whether it’s a local level ordinance or a statewide ordinance, there’s always the prediction that the sky is going to fall,” he says.
McGuire’s advice to ban proponents in Wisconsin is to keep the focus on the health of workers who are being subjected to second hand smoke. Governor Jim Doyle once again called for a statewide ban, in his state of the state address.