By ANNIE GOELLER Daily Journal staff writer
In the coming weeks, county officials will be asked to consider a smoking ban similar to the one that received preliminary approval in Greenwood on Monday night.
Two local health advocacy groups will meet with county commissioners and city and town councils to propose bans similar to the one in Greenwood, which would ban smoking in restaurants and businesses within city limits. Bars and fraternal lodges are excluded.
Franklin Mayor Brenda Jones-Matthews has heard discussion of a ban for the city, but she said one is not being considered by the city council.
She wouldn’t say if she was in support of a ban because the city council would make a decision on the issue. But she said she has looked at the health risks associated with smoking and believes city officials in Franklin would be interested in considering a ban.
Businesses and state and local governments across the country are instituting strict rules that don’t allow smoking in restaurants, bars and within certain distances of building entrances. Supporters cite lower health-care costs, more economic development in cities and towns and better overall health when people aren’t exposed to secondhand smoke.
Members of Partnership for a Healthier Johnson County and the county’s board of health want to see all of the county’s workplaces under a smoking ban, said Jane Blessing, coordinator for the program.
Some local officials have heard talk of a possible ordinance and are waiting for more information.
County commissioner Mitch Ripley said he would like to hear more information about an ordinance and expects to see a presentation within the next few months. His concern is whether residents in the county would support a ban, he said.
A survey Blessing’s group ordered shows that residents would like to see a ban, she said.
The survey of 604 county residents showed that 72 percent would support a ban or law similar to the one in Greenwood throughout the county, according to a report from interviewers at the Indiana University Public Opinion Laboratory.
Members of the board of health plan to draft an ordinance at a meeting this month and present it to commissioners, said Debbie Swinehamer, a member of the county’s board of health. The ban would cover unincorporated parts of the county.
One by one, health advocates will lobby council members in Franklin and the county’s towns, such as Bargersville and Whiteland, to approve rules that would ban smoking in restaurants and businesses. Those bans would cover the rest of the county.
Copyright (©) 2025 Daily Journal (Franklin) eEdition