Private Clubs Subject to Smoking Law

Today, the Ohio Supreme Court rejected a discretionary appeal in Case No.2008-0356, filed by the Ohio Department of Health to challenge Ohio's relatively new anti-smoking law as applied to private clubs and veterans' halls. The Court's decision confirms that the Ohio Department of Health did not have authority to issue special rules exempting private clubs from the anti-smoking law.  Newsnet5.com reports that appellees, the Ohio Licensed Beverage Association and its members, are pleased with the decision, as it treats all organizations that would otherwise have allowed smoking before the law equitably. See our prior post on the smoking regulations.