Sherburne County Health & Human Services (HHS) is looking to establish a tobacco-free policy at the Government Center.

 

“This is something that’s important to our public health area and the health of the people of the county,” HHS Director Mary Jo Cobb told members of the county board Tuesday.

It’s not the first time the proposal has come before the commissioners. 

 

The board held a workshop in May, 2013 to discuss options for developing a tobacco-free policy on county grounds. A policy was presented to the board a month later but failed to pass in a 2-2-1 vote.

 

In September, 2015 the board approved a motion to move toward tobacco-free grounds policies. Cobb said that was because the county accepts State Health Improvement Program (SHIP) funds. One of  SHIP’s biggest causes is eliminating tobacco use.

 

“It is a significant amount of money, and we need to show we’re continuing to work on that,” said Cobb Tuesday.

 

Mark Lees of HHS said the county needs to take the lead and be an example. He said other counties are adopting policies, and healthcare costs continue to rise.

 

“It’s a good time with the Government Center Expansion. It makes sense to add that in there and have a fresh start with new policies,” he said.

 

Currently, the Government Center building is tobacco-free. And there are certain exits with a 25-foot non-smoking setback. But tobacco use is permitted everywhere else on Government Center grounds.

 

Kara Zoller, HHS Health Promotions Supervisor, said they are interested in developing a new policy to present to the board. She said they will be conducting an employee survey and researching what other counties’ policies are before coming back to the board in the spring.

 

Commissioner Felix Schmiesing, who was against a tobacco-free policy in the past, said he doesn’t like government telling people what they can and can’t do.

 

“I’m fully prepared to lose this battle, but I’m not an advocate of increased regulations,” he said. “I don’t think the government needs to be in all parts of our lives.”

 

He said one of his concerns is what happens when someone wants to smoke.

 

 “I’ve seen where they go to smoke-free grounds, people are standing out in the street,” he said. “What have we accomplished there?”

 

Commissioner Ewald Petersen said his concern was enforcement - and would the policy cover e-cigarettes?

 

Administrator Steve Taylor said he has been through the same discussion in other counties and enforcement is an issue.

 

“No county is interested in assessing fines or writing people up,” he said. “And some of our clientele are going to smoke.”

 

He said there was an issue in Carver County because the Government Center there is in a residential area and they were concerned about people going across the street onto private property and littering.

 

Instead of making the entire campus smoke free, Carver County established two smoking areas, said Taylor.

 

Zoller said that was one of the options they will discuss when developing the policy.