Email This Story
Print This StoryEditorial: Wisconsin Lagging On Going Smoke Free
Neil Heinen Weighs In On Debate About Statewide Smoking Ban
UPDATED: 2:27 pm CDT May 21,
2007
By Neil Heinen
Editorial DirectorWhile the state of Wisconsin continues to support the rhetorical sideshows that are delaying action on a bill creating a smoke-free Wisconsin, others states, and indeed entire countries around the world, are going smoke free and reaping the benefits.While this might have been easy to ridicule or ignore when we're talking about Ireland or Italy or New York, and it shouldn't have been easy even then, we are now at risk of a serious economic disadvantage in competition with our neighbors.While our state lawmakers continue to ignore the indisputable health and economic benefits of a statewide smokefree initiative, the state of Minnesota has gone smoke free and the state of Illinois is soon to follow. Don't now think for a minute that new businesses in the creative economy, businesses that seek lower health costs, businesses that care about the health of their employees to say nothing of families and young professionals, won't consider such an issue when they decide where to live, work and invest.Wisconsin must join the 21st century and the list of states that are smoke free. We can't afford to wait any longer.What do you think? Give your two cents in Channel 3000's TALKBACK section.
Editorial DirectorWhile the state of Wisconsin continues to support the rhetorical sideshows that are delaying action on a bill creating a smoke-free Wisconsin, others states, and indeed entire countries around the world, are going smoke free and reaping the benefits.While this might have been easy to ridicule or ignore when we're talking about Ireland or Italy or New York, and it shouldn't have been easy even then, we are now at risk of a serious economic disadvantage in competition with our neighbors.While our state lawmakers continue to ignore the indisputable health and economic benefits of a statewide smokefree initiative, the state of Minnesota has gone smoke free and the state of Illinois is soon to follow. Don't now think for a minute that new businesses in the creative economy, businesses that seek lower health costs, businesses that care about the health of their employees to say nothing of families and young professionals, won't consider such an issue when they decide where to live, work and invest.Wisconsin must join the 21st century and the list of states that are smoke free. We can't afford to wait any longer.What do you think? Give your two cents in Channel 3000's TALKBACK section.
Copyright 2007 by Channel 3000. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
