2008 Woodie Awards
Citizen reports smoking in Roudebush
Constance Schiano
Issue date: 10/30/07 Section: Community
Miami University will be receiving a visit from the Butler County Health Department in the near future for allegedly violating Ohio's anti-smoking law.
According to Donna Brennan, secretary of the Butler County Health Department, Miami was reported by an unidentified citizen of Oxford for supposedly violating the anti-smoking law the weekend of Oct. 26 near 15 Roudebush Hall.
The law, which went into affect May 2007, is enforced by complaints through a toll-free telephone number.
Jeff Agnu, environmentalist for the Butler County Health Department, said the visits from the health department are solely complaint driven.
"The health department doesn't come into places looking for people smoking," Agnu said. "Someone needs to have called the toll-free number and then we act."
Agnu said that after a complaint has been reported to the operator of the health department's number, the operator then puts the claim on the health department's Web site.
According to Agnu, every morning the local health departments check the Web site to see if there are any complaints at public places or places of employment within their jurisdiction. If there are, the reported establishment receives a Notice of Report, which lets the business know that there has been a complaint made against their establishment and that the health department will be conducting an investigation within the next 30 days. Two of such investigations, Brennan states, have been conducted at Oxford's Steinkeller and McDonald's, however, with no proof of smoking actually occurring.
Both Steinkeller and McDonald's were unavailable for comment.
Although accused places are informed of the investigations, they are not informed of when they will be taking place and the health department can come at any time as long as it is within the 30 day period after the establishment receives the Notice
of Report.
Agnu said that during the investigations the health inspectors look for "No Smoking" signs posted on the entryways of buildings in places where patrons can easily see them. If there are no signs then the establishment has one violation. Inspectors then proceed to go into the establishment and ask to speak to someone from management, and while waiting they look for someone smoking or evidence of smoking ashtrays.
According to Donna Brennan, secretary of the Butler County Health Department, Miami was reported by an unidentified citizen of Oxford for supposedly violating the anti-smoking law the weekend of Oct. 26 near 15 Roudebush Hall.
The law, which went into affect May 2007, is enforced by complaints through a toll-free telephone number.
Jeff Agnu, environmentalist for the Butler County Health Department, said the visits from the health department are solely complaint driven.
"The health department doesn't come into places looking for people smoking," Agnu said. "Someone needs to have called the toll-free number and then we act."
Agnu said that after a complaint has been reported to the operator of the health department's number, the operator then puts the claim on the health department's Web site.
According to Agnu, every morning the local health departments check the Web site to see if there are any complaints at public places or places of employment within their jurisdiction. If there are, the reported establishment receives a Notice of Report, which lets the business know that there has been a complaint made against their establishment and that the health department will be conducting an investigation within the next 30 days. Two of such investigations, Brennan states, have been conducted at Oxford's Steinkeller and McDonald's, however, with no proof of smoking actually occurring.
Both Steinkeller and McDonald's were unavailable for comment.
Although accused places are informed of the investigations, they are not informed of when they will be taking place and the health department can come at any time as long as it is within the 30 day period after the establishment receives the Notice
of Report.
Agnu said that during the investigations the health inspectors look for "No Smoking" signs posted on the entryways of buildings in places where patrons can easily see them. If there are no signs then the establishment has one violation. Inspectors then proceed to go into the establishment and ask to speak to someone from management, and while waiting they look for someone smoking or evidence of smoking ashtrays.
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