New surveys find growing support for smoking bans in Wisconsin cities.
The polls by the Mellman group were done in three cities that have already adopted smoke-free ordinances. They checked the outlook of people in Appleton, Eau Claire, and Marshfield. They found that after those communities snuffed out the smokes, public support increased from a two-to-one to a three-to-one margin.
Maureen Busalacchi of Smoke-Free Wisconsin says she's not surprised by the findings. She says their experience has shows more people enjoy being able to go to smoke-free establishments, including some smokers.
Busalacchi says it should send a message to lawmakers to pass a statewide smoking ban. It's something Governor Doyle included in his proposed state budget, which is currently being reviewed by the Legislature.