| A public hearing over newly proposed smoking regulations in Calhoun and other LK counties under the jurisdiction of the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department will be held this evening at Arnoldsburg.
The public forum is scheduled for 6-8 p.m. in the Arnoldsburg Community Building.
The proposal is likely a done deal, following the course of smoking bans in nearly all West Virginia counties.
Opponents who advocate for smoker's rights say those rights are being violated, while others believe government has gone too far in regulating private businesses, declaring them public places.
Anti-smoking forces consider it a public health issue related to the inhaling of second-hand smoke.
The MOVHD's proposal is yet to go as far as many counties in the state, eliminating smoking in all businesses.
The WV Supreme Court has upheld the authority of Boards of Health to make health laws which they have the power to enforce.
Smoking is currently banned on all government property.
This proposal will mostly affect restaurants and smokers on streets or roads in front of establishments.
The Board will also accept written comment up until the 21st of January regarding the proposed Clean Indoor Air Regulation upgrade.
Speakers must sign-up before the meeting. They will be allowed two minutes to state their position.
Written comments can be emailed to cleanindoorair@movhd.com or sent to:
Mike St. Clair
BOH Chair, MOVHD
211 6th Street
Parkersburg, WV 26101
A copy of the proposed ordinance can be obtained from the Health Department's website: www.movhd.com Copies will also be posted for public view at each of the Health Department's county offices and the county courthouses.
The proposal was published in an earlier story on the Herald.
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