Ohio Smoking Ban Enforcement Delayed

December 11, 2006 3:00 PM, EST

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hio has delayed enforcing its new smoking ban until specific rules and regulations are written, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

Meanwhile, the Truck Renting and Leasing Association said in a note to its members Friday that it would work with the Ohio Trucking Association to exempt trucks from the smoking ban "and to ensure that lessors cannot be held liable for any violations committed by customers or customer’s drivers."

The decision was made after settlement talks between the Ohio Attorney General’s office and lawyers for two groups that had filed suits challenging the constitutionality of the new law went into effect shortly after midnight last Thursday the paper said.

The Ohio Department of Health has six months to write rules, but expects to do so sooner, the Enquirer reported.

The trucking industry has been one of the most vocal opponents of the law, which prohibits smoking in truck cabs, though there were exemptions for out-of-state trucks and independent drivers, and enforcement was expected to be lax on trucking. (Click here for previous coverage.)