AARP Supports Smoke-free Ballot Initiative

Efforts to give communities the right to pass smoke-free ordinances failed in committee during the last two legislative sessions. Now a coalition that includes AARP aims to put such a measure on the ballot.

Current state law bans smoking in indoor public places, in workplaces and on public transportation, but AARP and other groups want communities to be able to pass stricter tobacco control laws.

Smoking bans help reduce exposure to secondhand smoke—which is linked to about 700 deaths a year in Oklahoma—and encourages smokers to quit, a key concern in a state where more than 25 percent of adults smoke, one of the nation’s highest rates.

Gov. Mary Fallin (R) said she would lead an initiative petition drive on the issue.

To learn more, visit dontsmokeonme.com.

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