A Dane County vote to go smoke free won't deter efforts for a statewide ban. Maureen Busalacchi, Executive Director of SmokeFree Wisconsin, says the action by the Dane County Board, which makes every town in the county smoke free by August 2009, may spur more action by counties and municipalities. "We encourage people to move ahead, because waiting for the state legislature is sort of like waiting for Godot," says Busalacchi. "We need to get this (statewide ban) done."
In fact, SmokeFree Wisconsin would like to see a statewide smoking ban a top agenda item during the first 100 days of the new session of the legislature. Busalacchi notes that such a ban has enjoyed widespread bipartisan support, while conceding that some lawmakers from both parties also oppose it.
