WELLSBURG, W.Va. — Another West Virginia county is considering going smoke-free.
The Brooke County Board of Health is holding a public hearing Monday evening to listen to what residents have to say about the proposal that would ban smoking in all businesses, including bars, restaurants and video lottery parlors, as well as outdoor public spaces such as ball parks, playgrounds and festivals.
Brooke County Health Department Administrator Karen McClain told MetroNews why the board wants to change their current policy, enacted back in 2005 that allowed smoking in 25 percent of a business and did not include video lottery retailers.
“We do know how secondhand smoke, how dangerous it is, especially to children, people with asthma and older folks. Our board of health, given the poor ratings as far as health risk factors for our community, they want to enact 100 percent clean air,” explained McClain.
According to the latest finding from a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation report, Brooke County ranks last in the state when it comes to environmental factors that contribute to good health.
“The board of health has concerns that they’re not really doing their job if they’re 55 in the counties when it comes to environmental health,” stressed McClain.
Neighboring Hancock County passed a 100 percent clean air policy earlier this year. That will go into effect July 2015. McClain said Brooke County needs to follow suit. Currently 80 percent of Brooke County residents are non-smokers. McClain believes a majority of people want to be able to eat dinner, have a drink or play a video slot machines in a smoke-free environment. The county is already heading that way.
“A lot of our current businesses that have gone in, whether it’s a bar or restaurant, have made themselves smoke-free. We’ve seen some support for this even prior to a public acknowledgment that change was going to happen,” according to McClain.
The public hearing is set for 6 p.m. Monday in the courtroom of the Brooke County Courthouse in Wellsburg. McClain said they will listen to all sides and then make their final decision. That will be announced on Nov. 24.