Okla. health officials propose smoking law changes

Publication Date: 2010-10-13

• Publication:NECN via Tulsa World

Cities and towns in Oklahoma would be allowed to approve anti-smoking laws that are stricter than state law under a proposal by state health officials.

Current law prohibits cities and towns from passing laws against smoking in public places that would be more strict than state law.

The proposal adopted Tuesday by the Oklahoma State Board of Health and health departments in Tulsa and Oklahoma City calls for eliminating that prohibition.

One example is a current state law that allows some restaurants to allow smoking if they have a separately ventilated room. If the law were repealed, local ordinances could essentially be approved that would ban all smoking in restaurants.

State Health Commissioner Terry Cline told the Tulsa World that some communities believe stricter smoking bans would encourage economic development.