Presentation to cover ban’s health, political and economic impact.
In a neat dovetailing of purposes, Grand Forks anti-tobacco activists are holding a presentation Thursday that would serve both their educational and political goals.
The political goal, of course, is to have a ban on smoking in public places here similar to bans approved by Fargo voters a few weeks ago.
The Grand Forks Tobacco Free Coalition’s strategy, members have said, is to educate voters first before taking them to the polls. Which is where the Thursday presentation comes in, right on time to celebrate the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout.
Besides the usual health topics, the presentation also includes the political and economic impact of smoking bans. The fear of hurting bars and restaurants has been one of the stronger arguments against a smoking ban in Fargo and other cities.
Showing how important education is to the activists’ strategy, Grand Forks Mayor Mike Brown, a proponent of a smoking ban, said that he decided not to bring a smoking ban before the City Council in July because more education was still needed.
Making up for lost time, he now says he expects some political action in the next four to six weeks.
Local flavor
Given the partial success of smoking ban efforts in Fargo and West Fargo, N.D., where bars were exempted, it’s not surprising that local activists are gleaning lessons on what to do and what not to do.
One way in which the coalition is emulating Fargo activists is the Thursday presentation. Two of the speakers, for example, are taken directly from a similar presentation in Fargo in January.
But, if the coalition follows Fargo’s model, the Thursday presentation will be only the first in a series of public meetings.
Linda Kohls, chairwoman of Fargo’s Smoke-free Air For Everyone coalition (SAFE), said activists there did several forums dedicated to single topics such as the science of secondhand smoke and the economic impact of smoking bans.
This was followed by a task force formed by Fargo city commissioners to study a smoking ban, she said.
Support needed
Another lesson from Fargo is to get more people to speak out in support of a smoking ban, said Carrie Kaltenberg, the Tobacco Free Coalition’s coordinator and a nurse with the Grand Forks Public Health Department.
“That’s the kind of magic we’re looking for,” she said, “trying to have people have a voice.”
As Fargo activists have learned, there could be a large number of supporters who don’t want to speak out because they believe they’ll be a minority in a controversial issue. Either that or they simply haven’t thought hard about the issue.
“Most people that don’t like smoking are turned off by the smell of it,” Kohls said. “But they don’t think of it as a health issue.”
People also are afraid they might harm local businesses that cater to smokers. For Grand Forks, that means an even harder slog since it could be in the position of imposing a smoking ban without East Grand Forks following suit.
That’s why Brown said he’s talked with East Grand Forks Mayor Lynn Stauss about doing a smoking ban together.
What not to do
So what’s the “not to do” lesson?
Kohls said Fargo’s convoluted ballot issue resulted in an exemption for bars even though a total smoking ban, the activists’ main goal, also got enough votes to pass.
The smoking ban that exempted bars had more votes, so it became law, she said.
Originally written By: Tu-Uyen Tran
Herald Staff Writer
Herald Staff Writer
