Voters Acted on Smoking, Abortion Initiatives

BOSTON — Voters in several states made their voices heard last month on smoking bans and restrictions on abortion.

Public health experts offered their views on the ballot initiatives at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association (APHA).

Results were mixed on public health initiatives related to tobacco. Voters in Arizona, Nevada, and Ohio passed smoking restrictions. But voters were split in their support for raising taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products, with Arizona and South Dakota approving tax hikes while California and Missouri rejected them.

Social norms around smoking are changing, said Frances Stillman, codirector of the Institute for Global Tobacco Control at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore.

But that progress could be in jeopardy due to a lack of public funding in the states, said Ms. Stillman, immediate past chair of the APHA section on alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.

She does not foresee a federal ban on smoking anytime soon. And local action benefits antismoking advocates, she said, because it's harder for the tobacco industry to fight these efforts around the country. “They can't be everywhere at once.”

In Arizona, voters passed Proposition 201, the Smoke-Free Arizona Act. It prohibits smoking in all public places and places of employment except retail tobacco stores, veterans' and fraternal clubs, certain designated hotel rooms, and outdoor patios. The measure also raised cigarette taxes.

Arizona voters passed an initiative to establish an early childhood development and health fund that would be supported in part by revenues from the increase in the state tax on tobacco products.

Nevada voters passed a ballot question to ban smoking in indoor areas, including child care facilities, government buildings, public places, all bars with a food-handling license, and all indoor restaurants.

Ohio voters passed a proposal to prohibit smoking in a number of public places. Voters in Florida passed a constitutional amendment to use tobacco settlement money to fund a statewide tobacco education and prevention program. Voters in South Dakota passed a measure to raise cigarette taxes and dedicate a portion of the funds to tobacco-prevention programs.

Voters in three states defeated restrictions on abortion last month, including the far-reaching ban enacted in South Dakota earlier this year. That controversial law would have outlawed abortion in all cases except to save the life of the mother. The law did not include exceptions in cases where an abortion is needed to preserve the woman's health or in cases of rape or incest.

If voters had approved the measure, the issue would ultimately have been decided in the courts, resulting in a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade. With the legislation defeated by voters, current South Dakota law allows a woman to obtain an abortion during the first 24 weeks of pregnancy. After that time, abortions can be performed only to preserve the woman's life or health.

In Oregon and California, voters rejected measures aimed at requiring physicians to notify a minor's parents before performing an abortion. California's proposition 85 would have amended the state constitution to prohibit physicians from performing an abortion on an unemancipated minor until 48 hours after notifying a parent or legal guardian. State voters defeated this measure last year in a special election.

Oregon's measure 43 would have required a physician to provide written notice to a parent of an unemancipated minor age 15 and older at least 48 hours before providing the abortion. Under current law, parental consent for an abortion is required for minors younger than 15.

Lois Uttley, director of the MergerWatch Project, a group that advocates for greater access to reproductive health services, told this news organization that in an ideal world, girls would seek parental advice, but mandating parental involvement can lead to abuse. Instead, age-appropriate sex education, which includes both abstinence education and birth control, are more appropriate answers, said Ms. Uttley, who is the chair of the APHA Action Board.

“Good family communication unfortunately cannot be imposed by the government,” she said.

BOSTON — Voters in several states made their voices heard last month on smoking bans and restrictions on abortion.

Public health experts offered their views on the ballot initiatives at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association (APHA).

Results were mixed on public health initiatives related to tobacco. Voters in Arizona, Nevada, and Ohio passed smoking restrictions. But voters were split in their support for raising taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products, with Arizona and South Dakota approving tax hikes while California and Missouri rejected them.

Social norms around smoking are changing, said Frances Stillman, codirector of the Institute for Global Tobacco Control at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore.

But that progress could be in jeopardy due to a lack of public funding in the states, said Ms. Stillman, immediate past chair of the APHA section on alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.

She does not foresee a federal ban on smoking anytime soon. And local action benefits antismoking advocates, she said, because it's harder for the tobacco industry to fight these efforts around the country. “They can't be everywhere at once.”

In Arizona, voters passed Proposition 201, the Smoke-Free Arizona Act. It prohibits smoking in all public places and places of employment except retail tobacco stores, veterans' and fraternal clubs, certain designated hotel rooms, and outdoor patios. The measure also raised cigarette taxes.

Arizona voters passed an initiative to establish an early childhood development and health fund that would be supported in part by revenues from the increase in the state tax on tobacco products.

Nevada voters passed a ballot question to ban smoking in indoor areas, including child care facilities, government buildings, public places, all bars with a food-handling license, and all indoor restaurants.

Ohio voters passed a proposal to prohibit smoking in a number of public places. Voters in Florida passed a constitutional amendment to use tobacco settlement money to fund a statewide tobacco education and prevention program. Voters in South Dakota passed a measure to raise cigarette taxes and dedicate a portion of the funds to tobacco-prevention programs.

Voters in three states defeated restrictions on abortion last month, including the far-reaching ban enacted in South Dakota earlier this year. That controversial law would have outlawed abortion in all cases except to save the life of the mother. The law did not include exceptions in cases where an abortion is needed to preserve the woman's health or in cases of rape or incest.

If voters had approved the measure, the issue would ultimately have been decided in the courts, resulting in a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade. With the legislation defeated by voters, current South Dakota law allows a woman to obtain an abortion during the first 24 weeks of pregnancy. After that time, abortions can be performed only to preserve the woman's life or health.

In Oregon and California, voters rejected measures aimed at requiring physicians to notify a minor's parents before performing an abortion. California's proposition 85 would have amended the state constitution to prohibit physicians from performing an abortion on an unemancipated minor until 48 hours after notifying a parent or legal guardian. State voters defeated this measure last year in a special election.

Oregon's measure 43 would have required a physician to provide written notice to a parent of an unemancipated minor age 15 and older at least 48 hours before providing the abortion. Under current law, parental consent for an abortion is required for minors younger than 15.

Lois Uttley, director of the MergerWatch Project, a group that advocates for greater access to reproductive health services, told this news organization that in an ideal world, girls would seek parental advice, but mandating parental involvement can lead to abuse. Instead, age-appropriate sex education, which includes both abstinence education and birth control, are more appropriate answers, said Ms. Uttley, who is the chair of the APHA Action Board.

“Good family communication unfortunately cannot be imposed by the government,” she said.

BOSTON — Voters in several states made their voices heard last month on smoking bans and restrictions on abortion.

Public health experts offered their views on the ballot initiatives at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association (APHA).

Results were mixed on public health initiatives related to tobacco. Voters in Arizona, Nevada, and Ohio passed smoking restrictions. But voters were split in their support for raising taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products, with Arizona and South Dakota approving tax hikes while California and Missouri rejected them.

Social norms around smoking are changing, said Frances Stillman, codirector of the Institute for Global Tobacco Control at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore.

But that progress could be in jeopardy due to a lack of public funding in the states, said Ms. Stillman, immediate past chair of the APHA section on alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.

She does not foresee a federal ban on smoking anytime soon. And local action benefits antismoking advocates, she said, because it's harder for the tobacco industry to fight these efforts around the country. “They can't be everywhere at once.”

In Arizona, voters passed Proposition 201, the Smoke-Free Arizona Act. It prohibits smoking in all public places and places of employment except retail tobacco stores, veterans' and fraternal clubs, certain designated hotel rooms, and outdoor patios. The measure also raised cigarette taxes.

Arizona voters passed an initiative to establish an early childhood development and health fund that would be supported in part by revenues from the increase in the state tax on tobacco products.

Nevada voters passed a ballot question to ban smoking in indoor areas, including child care facilities, government buildings, public places, all bars with a food-handling license, and all indoor restaurants.

Ohio voters passed a proposal to prohibit smoking in a number of public places. Voters in Florida passed a constitutional amendment to use tobacco settlement money to fund a statewide tobacco education and prevention program. Voters in South Dakota passed a measure to raise cigarette taxes and dedicate a portion of the funds to tobacco-prevention programs.

Voters in three states defeated restrictions on abortion last month, including the far-reaching ban enacted in South Dakota earlier this year. That controversial law would have outlawed abortion in all cases except to save the life of the mother. The law did not include exceptions in cases where an abortion is needed to preserve the woman's health or in cases of rape or incest.

If voters had approved the measure, the issue would ultimately have been decided in the courts, resulting in a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade. With the legislation defeated by voters, current South Dakota law allows a woman to obtain an abortion during the first 24 weeks of pregnancy. After that time, abortions can be performed only to preserve the woman's life or health.

In Oregon and California, voters rejected measures aimed at requiring physicians to notify a minor's parents before performing an abortion. California's proposition 85 would have amended the state constitution to prohibit physicians from performing an abortion on an unemancipated minor until 48 hours after notifying a parent or legal guardian. State voters defeated this measure last year in a special election.

Oregon's measure 43 would have required a physician to provide written notice to a parent of an unemancipated minor age 15 and older at least 48 hours before providing the abortion. Under current law, parental consent for an abortion is required for minors younger than 15.

Lois Uttley, director of the MergerWatch Project, a group that advocates for greater access to reproductive health services, told this news organization that in an ideal world, girls would seek parental advice, but mandating parental involvement can lead to abuse. Instead, age-appropriate sex education, which includes both abstinence education and birth control, are more appropriate answers, said Ms. Uttley, who is the chair of the APHA Action Board.

“Good family communication unfortunately cannot be imposed by the government,” she said.