News: NE Anti Group Supports Use of 9-1-1 System to Enforce Ban

By Jonathan On Jul 5, 2017

PLEASE never use the 911 system to report a smoker!!!

Smokeless and clueless in Omaha

October 25, 2006
By Joseph Farah

Sometimes we fool ourselves into thinking that Washington has cornered the market on government madness.

It is hardly the case, as the city leaders of Omaha, Neb., showed us earlier this month.

Not only did the city council cave into the pressure of the anti-smoking Nazis – banning cigarettes in 97 percent of public places – but this group of tyrants went further than any in America thus far.

City officials in Omaha, with the support of the police department, called on citizens who witness violations of the new prohibition to call 911 to report them.

911.

Silly me, I thought 911 calls were about emergencies. Apparently, smoking in a no-smoking zone is considered a high crime in Omaha – right up there with murder, rape and robbery.

There was, I am happy to report, one voice of sanity expressed amid the madness.

Bucking the voices of the establishment, Douglas County emergency director Mark Conrey said people should not call 911 every time they see someone light up in a restricted area. He said the very idea threatens Douglas County’s emergency system.

I would think so. In fact, don’t police and emergency responders in most cities across the country deliberately discourage all but emergency calls on 911?

Nevertheless, despite the plea from the man in charge of making the emergency system work, Omaha police and city officials insisted residents should use 911 to report smoking law violators.

Maybe it’s a bid to raise cash, as penalties are $100 for the first offense, $200 for the second and $500 for the third and subsequent infractions.

Or maybe this is the type of crime city officials and police officers feel confident they can actually deter. Maybe these are the type of “criminals” they can actually bust – and without much threat to their own safety other than the possibility of inhaling second-hand smoke.

Maybe it seems like I’m making a mountain out of a molehill here. Maybe it seems like I’m picking on Omaha officials. Maybe it seems to you there are more important issues facing us than the smoking ban in a Nebraska city.

If so, then you are missing the point entirely.

This kind of insanity, this kind of tyranny, this kind of misguided political correctness is going to be the death of our great country if we’re not careful.

These laws have a way of multiplying. Despite challenges to the anti-smoking bans in cities across the country, despite the way these laws hurt businesses, despite the way they destroy freedom and “choice” and “diversity” and all the other lofty buzzwords used by the very people inclined to impose such draconian laws, not one anti-smoking ordinance has yet been repealed.

Do I care about smoking?

No, not that much.

But I do care about freedom.

I know what you’re thinking.

“Farah, don’t smokers violate my rights and the rights of my children to breath clean air?”

Freedom is for everyone – not just non-smokers. I think property owners who want to allow smoking in their establishments – their restaurants and bars – have every right to do so. And people have the right to patronize those establishments or not.

If non-smokers are so organized that they can impose their will on others by force, why not just use that power to persuade some restaurants and bars it is in their best interest to remain smoke-free?

Besides freedom, I also care about truth. And the truth is that those who claim all kinds of terrible dangers from second-hand smoke are lying through their glistening white teeth.

Maybe it’s time for some local officials to stop playing “follow the leader,” by doing exactly what other cities are doing, and to start actually leading. That requires, by the way, the ability to think for yourself, which may be beyond the capacity of the Omaha political elite.

WHERE THERE’S SMOKE, THERE’S IRE
See a smoker in Omaha? Dial 9-1-1
Nebraska city imposes toughest enforcement policy in nation

October 22, 2006

Omaha’s tough new anti-smoking ordinance banning the practice in nearly all public places comes with an even tougher enforcement policy.

The Nebraska city’s elected leaders and police department are urging residents who see violations to call the 9-1-1 emergency system for an immediate response.

Omaha banned smoking in public Oct. 2. Penalties are $100 for the first offense, $200 for the second and $500 for the third and subsequent infractions.

Teresa Negron, sergeant in charge of public information for the police, explained the department encourages observers of infractions to pick up the phone to report the infraction – just like they would for any other crime they observe being committed.

In the three weeks since the new smoking ban took effect, people have been observing the law, according to the city prosecutor.

The new smoking ban applies to bars that serve food and those that don’t have keno licenses. Some bars have applied for keno licenses to keep their smokers happy, and a few decided to give up food instead of smoking.

The Mayor’s Hot Line hasn’t had any complaint calls, the 9-1-1 dispatch director said call volume related to smoking complaints has been “insignificant,” and city prosecutor Marty Conboy said he hasn’t had any citations cross his desk.

“We’re very grateful people in the city have taken it seriously,” Conboy told a local television station. “So far, we have not seen any reports or citations. And as near as I can tell, there have not been any arrests.”

The local emergency coordinator and Omaha police don’t agree over how residents should report illegal smoking after the city’s smoking ban.

Douglas County Emergency director Mark Conrey said people should not call 9-1-1 every time they see someone light up in a restricted area. He said the very idea threatens Douglas County’s emergency system.

But, even after Conrey’s concerns, Omaha police insisted residents should use 9-1-1 to report smoking law violators.

The ban affects 97 percent of all Omaha businesses immediately and provides a five-year moratorium on enforcement across the board.

Anti-Smoking Group Supports Use of 9-1-1 System to Enforce Omaha Smoking Ban

October 1, 2006
By Michael Siegel
According to an article on the WOWT (Omaha NBC affiliate) web site, a Nebraska anti-smoking group is supporting the use of the 9-1-1 emergency system to enforce the new Omaha smoking ban, which goes into effect tomorrow. The group – Nebraska GASP – wants people to call 911 if they see someone smoking somewhere they shouldn’t be.

The Omaha police department has asked the public to help enforce the smoking ban by calling 9-1-1 to report violators. When asked to comment about this, Nebraska GASP president Mark Welsch apparently told WOWT that “he agrees with OPD’s directive to call 9-1-1.”

The county’s emergency director has warned that the use of 9-1-1 to report smoking ban violations threatens the emergency system, endangering the public’s safety. He has asked people not to call 9-1-1 to report seeing someone smoking in a place where smoking is prohibited by the city ordinance.

The Rest of the Story

I guess I was right when I argued that the tobacco control movement had run amok. This is about as amok as you can be: asking people to call 9-1-1 to report smoking ban violations.

The ordinance itself does not mention anything about 9-1-1, so I’m not blaming anti-smoking groups for acting improperly with respect to the ordinance itself. But it seems quite clear that Nebraska GASP, arguably the most prominent anti-smoking group in the Cornhusker State, supports the use of the state’s emergency response system to address smoking ban violations. It seems that this anti-smoking group views someone lighting up as an emergency.

The extremist element of the tobacco control movement is out of control. In this particular example, the lack of reason and restraint being exercised actually threatens the public’s safety. If the 9-1-1 system gets inundated with calls about potential smoking ban violations, it could interfere with emergency personnel’s ability to respond to bona fide emergencies.

How would like to call 9-1-1 because you’re suffering a heart attack but experience a delay in an ambulance getting to you because the system was tied up with calls from people ratting on smokers who lit up in public?

While the smoking violation complaints to 9-1-1 would only come in as a Priority 3 call (to which police officers respond only when they have time), it would undermine the police department’s ability to undertake important proactive police work. And if too many people called in, it could tie up the system, delaying response times. The police would have to respond, at some point, to these calls, and a substantial amount of police officers’ time could be tied up.

I always thought that smokers’ rights groups were exaggerating when they complained about smoking bans representing the establishment of the smoking police. But that is precisely what Nebraska GASP is trying to establish in Omaha.

Mishegas like this is eventually going to convince the public that we are simply a bunch of fanatics. Ultimately, it’s going to undermine our effectiveness in promoting the public’s health.

Anti-Smoking Group Instructs Public to Call 911 If They See Someone Light Up in Nonsmoking Zone, or If They See an Ashtray in a Nonsmoking Business

October 10, 2006
By Michael Siegel
A Nebraska anti-smoking group has instructed the public in Omaha to call 911 if they see someone smoking in an area where smoking is prohibited by the new city ordinance, which bans smoking in most workplaces and restaurants, but not in free-standing bars or in restaurants with Keno that applied for their Keno licenses before June 8, 2006. The group – Nebraska GASP – also instructs the public to call 911 if they see an ashtray in a nonsmoking business.

These instructions to the public are linked to by the Nebraska GASP web site, and are actually posted on the web site of the University of Nebraska at Omaha School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation:

“Q. Who should I call if I see someone breaking the law by smoking, or by having an ashtray in a nonsmoking business?
A. Call the Omaha City Police at 911. Non-emergency calls may be referred to the Telephone Response Squad at 444-5977.”

Last week, I reported that Nebraska GASP had publicly supported the request of the Omaha police department to have people call 911 for smoking ban violations, a policy that was opposed by the county’s director of emergency services, who warned that this would threaten the emergency system and endanger the public’s safety.

Now, it is clear that Nebraska GASP, as well as some sort of anti-smoking contingent within the University of Nebraska, are directly calling upon the public to call 911 if they observe a smoking ban violation, even if that violation is merely the presence of an ashtray.

The Rest of the Story

This is complete insanity. I think the anti-smoking movement has completely gone out of its mind!

Do you mean to tell me that if you walk into a restaurant and you see an ashtray on a table, the appropriate thing to do is to call 911?

I can just see the 911 police dispatcher now:

“Officer W, emergency, 12 Main Street, man running wild with loaded gun in his hand. Officer X, emergency, 3 Oak Street, man unconscious, not breathing. Officer Y, emergency, 2 Pine Street, fire, children in house. Officer Z, emergency, 117 Chestnut, ashtray in restaurant.”

I can also imagine the educational lesson given to children in the local elementary schools:

Teacher: OK kids. Today we’re going to talk about 911. That’s the number you call if you are in an emergency. Everyone say that together. 911.
Kids: 9-1-1
Teacher: What do you do if your mama or papa falls down and isn’t moving?
Kids: Call 9-1-1.
Teacher: Good. What do you do if you see a fire?
Kids: Call 9-1-1.
Teacher: Excellent. What do you do if you see someone with a gun on the street?
Kids: Call 9-1-1.
Teacher: Good. And what do you do if you see an ashtray in a restaurant?
Kids: Call 9-1-1.
Teacher: Here’s a tricky one. What do you do if you see a smoker in a restaurant?
Kids: Call 9-1-1.
Teacher: And a really tricky one. What if that restaurant has Keno?
Kids: Call 9-1-1.
Teacher: No. Got you. If the restaurant has Keno, you don’t call 9-1-1. Only if the restaurant doesn’t have Keno do you call 9-1-1.

And here’s a conversation I can see between a responsible citizen and the 911 dispatcher:

Responsible Citizen: I am reporting an emergency at the Omaha City Cafe.
911 Dispatcher: What is the emergency?
Responsible Citizen: I see an ashtray.
911 Dispatcher: Is there smoke coming from the ashtray?
Responsible Citizen: No.
911 Dispatcher: Would you consider the Omaha City Cafe to be a stand-alone bar?
Responsible Citizen: Well, there is a bar in here, but it kind of looks like a bar within a restaurant, rather than a stand-alone bar.
911 Dispatcher: OK. So it’s not a stand-alone bar. Does the restaurant have Keno?
Responsible Citizen: What’s that?
911 Dispatcher: Keno is a game played using a field of numbers from 1 through 80. You can select – or choose Quick Pick – up to 10 numbers in that field. The Lottery’s computer randomly chooses 20 winning numbers between 1 and 80 for each game of Keno and displays those winning numbers on the Keno Information Monitor. You win based upon how many winning numbers you match.
Responsible Citizen: Well – yeah – I do see a television screen up above the bar and it has a lot of numbers on it.
911 Dispatcher: Sounds like Keno. OK, on what date did the restaurant apply for its Keno license?
Responsible Citizen: Hold on, I’ll check. Hey, bartender. When did you apply for your Keno license?
Bartender: It was last June.
Responsible Citizen: Last June.
911 Dispatcher: Early June or late June?
Responsible Citizen: Hold on. Was it early June or late June?
Bartender: Early June.
Responsible Citizen: Early June.
911 Dispatcher: OK. I’m afraid I’m going to need the exact date.
Responsible Citizen: Sorry -– they need the exact date.
Bartender: Let me check … (5 minutes later) … it was June 9.
Responsible Citizen: Are you still there?
911 Dispatcher: Yeah, I’m back. I just had to take a call about a guy who had a stroke. Sorry.
Responsible Citizen: It was June 9.
911 Dispatcher: OK. According to city law, that is indeed a violation of the smoking ordinance. The police are on their way.
Responsible Citizen: What are they going to do?
911 Dispatcher: Arrest the offending ashtray.
Responsible Citizen: And what if the ashtray refuses to go?
911 Dispatcher: It will be charged with resisting arrest.
Responsible Citizen: OK. Thanks for your help. I just hope they don’t have to use force. It could get ugly.

Here’s a joke:

Question: What do you get when you combine an ashtray and a restaurant without Keno in the city of Omaha?
Answer: A life-threatening emergency.

To analyze this from just one more angle:

Question: Which one of the following is a situation in which Omaha citizens should call 911?
A. You are having trouble breathing and suspect you have pneumonia.
B. You are quite sure that the child living next door is getting repeatedly beaten.
C. Your electricity is out, you’ve lost your heat, and it’s 17 degrees outside.
D. You are a homebound elderly person, there is a blizzard coming, and you have no food in the house.
E. You see an ashtray in a restaurant.

Answer: E. You see an ashtray in a restaurant.

This is the only one of the above situations in which you should call 911. If you are having trouble breathing and suspect you have pneumonia, you should call your primary care physician. Unless you are truly unable to breathe and having a life-threatening emergency, your first line of intervention should be your doctor, not the 911 emergency system. If you want to report child physical abuse, you should call the Department of Social Services or the police department’s non-emergency line, unless the child is being beaten at the moment you call. This is important to report, but not a life-threatening emergency. If you lose electricity, call the electric company to report the power outage, not 911. If you are homebound and a blizzard is coming, call a friend, relative, neighbor, or the Department of Senior Services, not 911. If you see an ashtray in a restaurant, this is a life-threatening emergency, and you should call 911 immediately as your first response. Do not call the police department’s non-emergency line or the city health department. Call 911.

Here’s another question:

Question: You are a responsible Omaha citizen and you notice that a restaurant has provided an ashtray for smokers to extinguish their cigarettes in the entranceway to the restaurant, under a no-smoking sign, and under a placard asking smokers to kindly put out their cigarettes in the ashtray because smoking is not allowed in the restaurant and the establishment wants to comply with the law and protect the health of all their customers and employees. The entranceway is located between the outside doors and inside doors to the restaurant. According to Nebraska GASP and the University of Nebraska, what should you do?

A. Thank the restaurant owner for being law-abiding and for trying his best to comply with the law and for facilitating smokers’ cooperation with the law by providing the ashtray in the entranceway.
B. Let the restaurant owner know that the presence of the ashtray constitutes a violation of the city no-smoking ordinance, despite his good intentions.
C. Contact the health department to ask them to remind the restaurant owner that this is technically an ordinance violation and the ashtray will have to be removed.
D. Forget about it. There are more important problems in the world.
E. Call 911.

Answer: E. Call 911.

According to Nebraska GASP and the University of Nebraska, if you see an ashtray in a nonsmoking business, you are instructed to call 911.

Apparently, there are not more important problems in the world.

Well, I can think of just one: the idiocy of some anti-smoking groups and the refusal of the anti-smoking movement to condemn this behavior on the part of their fellow organizations.
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