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Industry-Backed Ohio Ballot Group Fails to Disclose Funding

Smoke Less Ohio, a group that is pushing a weaker alternative to a tough indoor-smoking proposal endorsed by health groups, failed to report to the Secretary of State's office that the vast majority of its funding comes from tobacco giant R.J. Reynolds, the Toledo Blade reported Sept. 14.

A spokesperson for the group blamed a fax-transmission error for the lack of disclosure, although previously Smoke Less Ohio argued that state law didn't require the group to disclose where the funding of its $1.5-million petition drive came from. The filing attributes the funding to a nonprofit group, Smoke Less Ohio, Inc., but fails to mention the penultimate source of the money.

"This makes a mockery of campaign-finance reporting," said Tracy Sabetta of SmokeFreeOhio, the group sponsoring the comprehensive ban on indoor smoking and funded by the American Cancer Society.

Both questions will appear on the Nov. 7 ballot in Ohio; the industry-backed measure would exempt bars, restaurants with separate smoking areas, bowling alleys, and private clubs from smoking bans. If both measures pass, the Smoke Less Ohio one could prevail since it calls for a constitutional amendment, whereas the SmokeFree Ohio question only implements a statute.

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