News: Taylor County (New Smoking Guidelines - 2008)

Transcriber: Robert Lipprandt
bob@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surname: Bix

----Source: The Star News (Medford, WI) 8/16/2018

Originally published in the Star News, August 14, 2008

A plan to prohibit smoking and use of other tobacco product in county building and vehicles is headed back to the drawing board for more revisions after it was noted the definition of tobacco products used in the ordinance did not include cigarettes.

The Taylor County board of health received a copy of the revised ordinance from the county’s attorney Monday. The ordinance says that county will use state statute 139.75(12). However, as county health board member Mary Bix pointed out that stature states “Tobacco product does not include cigarettes.” A different state law defines cigarettes, but that law is not currently cited in the proposal ordinance.

The proposed county ordinance restricts use of tobacco products within 25 feet from the entrance of any building and is part of an ongoing effort by the county health board to eliminate smoking on county facilities.